Financial Fair Play

[KunDB]

My arse.

Funny how the cheating Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid got away with cheating for so long and it took the European Commission to stop  it while UEFA sat idly by concentrating on stopping Man City from rising throught their closed ranks.

Real Madrid and Barcelona ordered to repay millions in support from Spanish government 

The La Liga giants are two of seven teams being ordered to pay money back which they were handed by the state following a European Commission investigation.

Real Madrid and Barcelona ordered to repay millions in support from Spanish government

The La Liga giants are two of seven teams being ordered to pay money back which they were handed by the state following a European Commission investigation

Real Madrid are being forced to pay back state support

Spanish authorities have been ordered to reclaim millions of pounds given to Real Madrid and Barcelona in state support.

The La Liga juggernauts are among the teams said to have benefited from soft loans, tax breaks and property deals from the government over the past 26 years.

Margrethe Vestager, the EU competition commissioner, demanded the beginning of repayments on Monday.

"Using taxpayers' money to finance professional football clubs can create unfair competition," Vestager said in a statement.

"Professional football is a commercial activity with significant money involved and public money must comply with fair competition rules."

Real Madrid are to be forced to pay back â,¬18.4million of state support from a complex land deal which was issued from a local authority in the Spanish capital.

It relates to a series of controversial land deals in the 1990s which included Real Madrid transferring part of their old training ground to city officials as part of the redevelopment of Madrid.

Real Madrid and Barcelona ordered to repay millions in support from Spanish government

The La Liga giants are two of seven teams being ordered to pay money back which they were handed by the state following a European Commission investigation

Real Madrid are being forced to pay back state support

Spanish authorities have been ordered to reclaim millions of pounds given to Real Madrid and Barcelona in state support.

The La Liga juggernauts are among the teams said to have benefited from soft loans, tax breaks and property deals from the government over the past 26 years.

Margrethe Vestager, the EU competition commissioner, demanded the beginning of repayments on Monday.

"Using taxpayers' money to finance professional football clubs can create unfair competition," Vestager said in a statement.

"Professional football is a commercial activity with significant money involved and public money must comply with fair competition rules."
Getty Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid receives a red card from referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez
Barcelona and Real Madrid are both being ordered to pay back money

Real Madrid are to be forced to pay back â,¬18.4million of state support from a complex land deal which was issued from a local authority in the Spanish capital.

It relates to a series of controversial land deals in the 1990s which included Real Madrid transferring part of their old training ground to city officials as part of the redevelopment of Madrid.

In return, Real were handed other plots of land around the city to help them develop - some of which have reportedly been revalued to the financial advantage of the club.

Real, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna benefitted from a lower corporate tax rate for more than 20 years.

They paid 25 per cent rather than the 30 per cent common for sports firms and all four are being forced to pay back â,¬5million.

Valencia , Hercules CF and Elche are also being forced to return the money the Valencia Institute of Finance handed them following the Brussels investigation.

Valencia must pay back â,¬20.4million while Hercules owe â,¬6.1 million and Elche â,¬3.7million,

[Swiss]

It's been 'known' or rather suspected that they have been part funded by the state with debts underwritten. I imagine those fee's are the tip of the iceberg.

[zacc]

and what happens if they don't pay it back?

[bluebrendan]

It's been 'known' or rather suspected that they have been part funded by the state with debts underwritten. I imagine those fee's are the tip of the iceberg.

You're not kidding, there's still controversy about the sale of Real Madrid's former training ground site at the turn of the century where the land was re-zoned by the local authority from effectively green-belt to brown-belt in UK terms, thus increasing its market value many times over, eventually sold for 480m euros, although the European Commission let that one through.

[Swiss]

I imagine Spain will be holding their own Spexit referendum if the EC keep pokin their nose in 

[bry the guy]

wouldnt it be a Espsalado an not spexit?

[Swiss]

Alright Manuel! I took French at school, not Espanol!

Una Ceveza pour favour & La Quenta are the two phrases I know!