Carlo Cudicini, the 52-year-old former Chelsea goalkeeper who made 216 appearances for the Blues between 1999 and 2009, finds himself embroiled in a legal battle over a compact sun terrace at his South Kensington residence.
The Milan-born ex-footballer purchased the Jay Mews property for £1.75 million in 2006 during the height of his Premier League career, with the home now valued at more than £3 million.
Situated just yards from Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall, the mews house lies less than two miles from Stamford Bridge, where Cudicini currently serves as head of talent and the club's pathway programme.
Freeholder Haya Property Ltd is pursuing legal action against the former keeper.
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The dispute allegedly stems from Cudicini's objections to three air conditioning units that Haya Property positioned adjacent to his master bedroom, which he reported to the City of Westminster.
His legal team contends that the subsequent lawsuit represents retaliation for these complaints.
Mark Warwick KC, representing the former goalkeeper, characterised the breach allegation as "unjustified" during proceedings at Central London County Court.
The barrister argued before Judge Olivia-Faith Dobbie: "Further and in any event, the allegation was their unjustified riposte to Mr Cudicini's earlier complaint to the City of Westminster that Haya Property had wrongly placed three noisy air conditioning units next to his master bedroom."
Carlo Cudicini finds himself embroiled in a legal battle over a compact sun terrace at his South Kensington residence
|Cudicini's defence rests on planning permission granted by Westminster Council before he took ownership of the property, which authorised "the replacement of a rear first floor window with French doors - and use of flat roof and lightwell as a terrace."
Mr Warwick told the court: "On 30 June 2006, he purchased the house, with the benefit of the terrace permission, for £1.75 million.
"In about 2007 to 2008, he had work to the house carried out in accordance with the terrace permission, creating a terrace.
"The work was carried out openly and with the knowledge and/or consent of the previous landlords. From about 2008 and thereafter, he has openly used the terrace as part of the house.”
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Carlo Cudicini made 216 appearances for Chelsea between 1999 and 2009
|GETTY
Cudicini maintains that landlords, prior to Haya Property's acquisition of the freehold in November 2015, received formal notification of the terrace plans and approved them.
Haya Property Ltd alleges that Cudicini's use of the terrace space, which measures less than two metres in both length and width, constitutes "a trespass and/or breach of covenant" under his lease terms.
The company is seeking an injunction to prevent further use of the outdoor area, along with damages of up to £25,000.
Cudicini holds a 999-year lease on the property at the unusual rate of "one red rose per annum if demanded."
The dispute allegedly stems from Cudicini's objections to three air conditioning units that Haya Property positioned adjacent to his master bedroom
|Mr Warwick told the court that his client possesses a "complete defence" based on his personal knowledge of the property's history and additional documents uncovered through subsequent enquiries.
A five-minute pre-trial hearing took place last week before Judge Dobbie.
No date has been fixed for the full trial.
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