Football | EU condemned Spanish clubs to repay millions – IMAGE

Brussels (dpa) – Seven Spanish football clubs have to pay back the state illegal aid amounting to meet at least 48 million euros. This has the EU Commission decided and communicated in a test procedure.

The aid for FC Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid, Valencia, Athletic Bilbao, Atlético Osasuna, Elche and Hercules were contrary to EU law and have the clubs an unfair advantage, the Commission decided. Therefore, Spain must recover the aid now.

With 20.4 million euros, the club in Valencia is the largest chunk back. The Brussels competition watchdogs complained guarantees the state-owned Instituto Valenciano de Finanzas. Thanks to those clubs Valencia, Hercules and Elche came despite the financial problems of loans. Hercules should therefore reimburse 6.1 and Elche 3.7 million euros.

With Real Madrid it comes to an exchange of land with the city of Madrid, from the club, according to the auditors an advantage of 18.4 million euros moved. “With that Real Madrid was given an unfair advantage over other clubs, the club now has to pay back,” the agency said.

In addition, the Spanish giants Real Madrid as the FC Barcelona, ​​Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Osasuna have of 1990-2015 benefited from tax advantages. The four teams were classified, so their profits are taxed at a lower by five percent than that of a GmbH as a “non-profit organizations”. The exact amount – between zero and five million euros per team – must now determine the Spanish state

“Professional football is an economic activity, are in considerable sums of money, and the state support measures with the rules of. be fair competition compatible “, the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager stressed loud message. “That was at the investigated subsidies not the case.”

However, the Commission approved several aid for Dutch football clubs. The financial support for the clubs FC Den Bosch, MVV Maastricht, NEC Nijmegen and Willem II from Tilburg was correct, because it was associated with a realistic plan to restructure the teams. A land transaction between the city and the PCV Eindhoven corresponded market conditions and was therefore in order.

Comparative studies with other football clubs, the Commission does not currently, authorities said spokesman Ricardo Cardoso.