http://www.as.com/articulo.html?d_date=&xref=20041015dasdaiftb_11&type=Tes&anchor=dasftbA00 [font=Arial,Helvetica,SunSans-Regular] In the next few days the European Commision will archive the charges concerning the sale of the Ciudad Deportiva del Real Madrid, due to it having been shown that there was no public subsidy afforded to Real Madrid by the Autonomous Community of Madrid nor by the City of Madrid. The explanations given by the Exterior[/font] Ministry of the Community of Madrid and City Hall have convinced the European Free Trade Commision, headed by Mario Monti of Italy, have definitively closed the book on the issue. The investigation was opened last January due to the charges, presumibly made by Convergencia i Unio and presumibly instigated by FC guesswho, whining about favors to Real Madrid (the CE has not made the identity of the whiners public[font=Arial,Helvetica,SunSans-Regular]). In February, the General Director of Competition brought the question to the ACM and City Hall to determine whether the sale of the CD violated the EC laws concerning public funds. Not satisfied with the answers it received, a new line of questioning was presented in July. The amplified responses that were given made it clear that there were no public fund subsidies used at all, and the buyers were, in fact, private companies. The companies are the following: the construction company OHL, Repsol, Mutua Madrileña Automovilista, and Sacyr Vallehermoso. [/font]
I'm really glad this is all over with, so that the doubters and the conspiracy theorists can be silenced. FC Guesswho made me giggle, though.
lisabrasil09, I wish I could agree that this will silence the conspiracy theorists - but I doubt it. In fact I would not be surprised to hear next that the money that was supposed to pay for the landing on the moon ended up in Real Madrid's coffers.
I should have added for those who weren't aware, but Convergencia i Unio (CiU) had been the ruling party in Catalunya up until the most recent elections. Jordi Pujol was the supreme capo of the chartered extortion ring. CiU lost power in the last elections to the far-left Esquerra Republicana Catalana (ERC) separatists. Edit: This may take one issue out of the Anti-Madrid Whining Handbook ©, but they'll always instictively revert to the false "Franco's team" accusation. Predictable.
It was so obvious!!!!!!!!! But some people try to hide his mediocrity/failure, making false acussations to distract the attencion. It is very easy speak without proofs/ evidences. Like a Spain proverb says "Miente/difama que siempre algo queda"."Lie/defame that always something remain". What is more amazing is that the people that should be more quiet (some CIU members and business men very closed to a soccer club whose name begins by B are in jail for corruption, and these are facts), is the people that more speak. But it is how this works. I'm used to it. ----------------- Some people live more worried about what happened in other clubs, that what happen in their clubs. It is very pathetic but it is truth. And even you have very clear examples in some people that came to this board. I think that some members of Bigsoccer (specially of FC guesswho board) should apologize to us for all the nonsenses that they have said in this board about this question. Sometimes i'm really really really tired to reply some people, and sometimes i decide to reply AGAIN THE SAME QUESTION only because some people, mainly new ones in the board, could beleive that nonsenses.
I doubt this decision will put the whole controversy to bed, and not just because there are vested interests in seeing RM brought low. The decision by the EC seems to centre merely around whether public money was used to pay Real Madrid for the Ciudad Deportiva grounds, and it has been shown that the land was bought up by private investors - so, no conspiracy there. However, there is still a great deal of controversy surrounding the initial decision by the Madrid local and regional governments to re-grade the ground to enable construction upon it (it was previously meant for sports use only). It was of course this decision that made the land so much more valuable, as it is on prime Madrid real estate. In truth, the sale not only proved of great financial value to Real Madrid, as both the local and regional Madrid governments (as well as the Spanish Revenue) made large sums of money out of it. Florentino was very careful to set up the deal within the bounds of legality (at least as I understand it) and thereby wiped Real Madrid's debt in one fell swoop. But it is true to say that the sniping about the regrading of the land will probably continue from certain quarters for years to come. rmnews.blogspot.com
Gonzalo, Mario Monti already said in 2001, when he worked for first time in this case that the re-grade was totally correct. http://www.terra.es/deportes/articulo/html/dpo20749.htm "... Fuentes comunitarias indicaron en enero que Bruselas no quería poner en cuestión el proceso de recalificación, ya que el comisario europeo de Competencia, Mario Monti, señaló en 2001 que no consideraba esta operación como una ayuda de Estado ilegal en beneficio del Real Madrid .... " "... EU sources indicated in January that Bruselas doesn't want to raises doubts about re-grade process, because the European Free Trade Commision commissioner, Mario Monti, indicated in 2001 that he didn't consider that deal as a illegal help of the Stated (Madrid goverment) to benefit Real Madrid ..." The facts were that Real Madrid owned a big number of hectares in one of the most expensive areas of the city, that hectares where private property. Only Real Madrid member could access to that hectareas, not the rest of Madrid people. After the trade with Real Madrid, local and regional Madrid governments, like you have said, have earned a HUGE NUMBER MILLIONS OF €, and at the same time they have a big number of hectares in that area of the city, where will be build a big park (and probably a paladium) that could enjoy all the citizes of Madrid, not only Real Madrid members. It was a great business for Madrid Local and regional goverment. And this kind of businnes happen constantly in all the countries of the wold. An example, the Spain/France/Italy goverment want to re-grade some military use grounds to enable construction upon it. Then they have to justify that decision, first, to Spain/France/Italy Parliament, and after that to the EU goverment (European commision) that have power to revoke countries parliaments decisions. Spain/France/.. goverment have to show that they haven't sold the grounds cheap benefiting some private companys, and losing some money that should have been for the Spain/France/Italy goverment/people. With their decisions, European commision has said very clearly that the re-grade and sold of 'Ciudad Deportiva' was 100% correct. Florentino can take wrong or very wrong sport decisions, but he is the president of the most important construction company in Spain and one of the biggest in Europe. He offered to the Madrid Local and regional goverment, a great and very imagine project (build 4 biggest skyscrapers in Spain, a big public park, a paladium and a HUGE MONEY for all the parts), and Madrid local and Regional goverments simply couldn't reject that great project/opportunity. Gonzalo, Lockjaw,... I agree with you that probably some people will try to continue creating polemic about this question, but now, more than never is very clear that their only reason is ... THE ENVY!!!!!!!
Congratulations on 1000 posts, MadridForever! You're right about envy. To be the object of envy will always be part of being a Madridista.
You're absolutely right about what Mario Monti said back in 2001; I would add, however, that he also said that the re-grading decision was outside EC jurisdiction and is something that is the responsibility of member states to legislate. Which is exactly why this controversy will run and run. Certain parties suspect (or would like to believe) that the Government has nothing better to do that arrange deals to get Real Madrid out of a hole. The (probable) truth of the matter is that there was money to be made on all sides. There was a substantial benefit to Madrid taxpayers (not just financial, some of the agreement would generate more public spaces), and that, after all, is the responsibility of the Madrid local and regional governments, and, cleverly, Florentino put together a deal which also benefited Real Madrid. rmnews.blogspot.com
i tried to make sense of all the imbroglio before, but let me ask you here: does this in any way settle the issues raised over here?: http://aravacavaldemarin.org/alegacionrm.html
Not really. This is all related to the legality or otherwise of the re-grading of the land. In brief (it's a long document) he allegations argue that Real Madrid was ceded the land initially for the sole purpose of building sports facilities. Therefore the club should not benefit from a subsequent re-grading of the land for other building purposes. I'm not a lawyer, but it is not unusual for companies or corporations to seek for planning permission to change the use that land may be put to after the original planning consent was granted for a totally different purpose. I suspect that both Florentino and the Madrid governments are canny enough to ensure that any such actions are sanctioned by lawyers so that they can keep within the letter of the law. rmnews.blogspot.com
i would be delighted if the issue was actually 'finally' put to bed, but i have a feeling a lot of our rivals will hang on to this one for a long time to come!
The EU has dropped it's probe http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/soccer/11/09/real/index.html This won't make the conspiracy theorists very happy ""I can confirm that the Commission has closed the case after concluding there was no transfer of state resources to the Spanish club," spokeswoman Amelia Torres said"
Re: The EU has dropped it's probe http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/ce161/ce16120030710en00570058.pdf Here is the link to the EU Official Journal. All clear.