Brussels – A major real‑estate speculation scandal looms, with possible breaches of EU rules: Real Madrid’s manoeuvres are turning into a full‑blown case. Spanish MEPs Estrella Galán (The Left), Jaume Asens Llodrà (Greens) and Vicent Marzà Ibáñez (Greens) have raised concerns about the plan to expand the buildable area of the land on which Real Madrid City, the football club’s training centre, is situated. Here, the MEPs allege in the relevant parliamentary question that “irregularities and possible unlawful favourable treatment” are taking place.
According to the parliamentary question, the Madrid City Council is processing a change to Real Madrid FC’s plot DO-190 in Valdebebas that “increases the area of buildable land from 360,000 m² to 532,550 m², allows the land to be used for profit-making purposes and increases the value of the land to EUR 360.1 million.” According to MEPs, there is also another aspect to the matter: “Real Madrid competes with European clubs, but the public advantages granted by Madrid can distort that competition, a scenario covered by Articles 107 and 108 TFEU,” the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Essentially, there are concerns that State aid could distort competition. Moreover, the aforementioned Article 107 defines as “incompatible with the internal market” any state aid “in any form” that may distort competition. In the present case, this would occur through changes in land use and planning permissions. Hence, the explicit request for an investigation into the case, to determine whether the decision taken by Madrid City Council “grants Real Madrid a selective advantage in breach” of European regulations.
Then there is the accusation levelled at the European Commission, because, in tabling the question, the MEPs point out that the European Parliament had previously raised this issue in a question denouncing contracts awarded for the car parks at the Santiago Bernabéu. In this stadium, Real Madrid play their home matches. “The Commission claimed ignorance and did not investigate. Subsequently, the courts rendered null and void the tender and the award of the contracts and found that the transaction benefited the club, not the general interest.” Essentially, the second von der Leyen Commission is being asked not to act like the first, which turned a blind eye to suspicious cases later found to be irregular. Once again, Real Madrid bursts onto the 12-star political scene.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
