FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will be forced to pay back illegal state aid

[VP89]

https://www.ft.com/content/2b6aa26f-f2ac-426f-b218-612f4c21695c

"FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will be forced to pay back millions of euros in illegal state aid after the EU’s highest court ruled Brussels was right to declare that beneficial tax arrangements they enjoyed for a quarter of a century were illegal"

Sadly I do not have FT access but I thought I'd share - wonder if it's a material amount.

 

[11101]

They say its not possible to put a value on it, but its in the tens of millions over the last 25 years.

We always knew they were cheating on top of their preferential TV rights deals. Of course UEFA/FIFA wouldn't dare put a dent in their ill gotten trophy cabinets over the same period.

 

[horsechoker]

Me waiting for the same thing to happen to City

 

[VP89]

If I'm not mistaken, it's upholding this?
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ens-millions-illegal-state-subsidies-brussels

Which is 4 years ago, but in any case they have to pay what, around 20m in taxes now that it's upheld. If it's upfront then Id assume that's a material hit.

 

[Powderfinger]

No idea if this is the same case but these proceedings have been going on for a while and the last time I remember the EU making such a decision it was over a relatively small amount like 18m euro in the case of Real Madrid.

Edit: VP89 beat me to it, about to post the same link.

 

[Dumbstar]

Any amount is good as long as it brings the negative press. Mbappe and Haaland better think long and hard in the summer.
(Klopp's your only answer)

 

[Pexbo]

Me waiting for the same thing to happen to City

How did you take the photo?

 

[horsechoker]

How did you take the photo?

Someone else did

 

[FrankDrebin]

Me waiting for the same thing to happen to City

RIP.

 

[giorno]

This is about the fact that Real Madrid, Barcelona, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao were spared from becoming private companies and allowed to mantain their non-profit status(which allowed them to mantain their ownership model). And as non-profit organization they were eligible for certain tax benefits

Court ruling essentially says said tax benefits represented an unfair advantage over the competition

 

[UnofficialDevil]

What about the training ground scandal, selling it to the council and keeping it? Something like that.

 

[carvajal]

How do they want us to pay if the European covid funds have not yet been distributed?

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Real Madrid’s Champions League Was Paid For By The Spanish Government


https://www.theversed.com/32754/rea...pensed-by-the-spanish-government/#.bvUwqVPqWA

 

[KirkDuyt]

Now I understand why they're all so angry at Dijsselbloem, they need us to pay for Haaland and Mbappe.

 

[17Larsson]

More than a club

 

[Acrobat7]

More than a club

Indeed, it was 4 i believe

 

[FujiVice]

If they have to pay back the money, do all of their titles get taken off them like Juventus when they were relegated?

 

[Mb194dc]

They're both struggling financially already so this is last thing they need.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

They're both struggling financially already so this is last thing they need.

I‘m all for it personally.

 

[Kyonn]

How much more bad news can Barca withstand? Wonder if they would consider selling De Jong this summer to raise funds.

 

[darko]

Me waiting for the same thing to happen to City

They got a preferential stadium deal. I refer to them as the welfares.