Real Madrid could be in hot water over Gareth Bale’s transfer from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2013.
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It is alleged that the Spanish giants indirectly used British tax-payers money to help fund the $132 million move for the 26-year-old Welsh superstar.
Three members of the European parliament have put in written requests to the European Commission asking for an investigation into the transfer to take place.
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Here’s more details from the Daily Mail:There is a suggestion that Bankia acted as guarantor to Madrid as they financed Bale’s move, after themselves receiving €18billion in tax-payers money when it was saved by the EU.
After the bail-out Bankia was effectively a nationalized entity and so their involvement could constitute illegal state aid giving Real Madrid and unfair advantage over other their European rivals.
So, overall, what these politicians are upset about is the fact that state-owned banks have effectively helped Real buy one of the best players on the planet who helped them win the UEFA Champions League during his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu and has scored 52 goals in 109 games in the Spanish capital.
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This is complicated but similar situations have arisen in the past as the European Union bailed out Spanish banks in 2012 and German teams were incensed that over $834.2 million in debt from Spanish clubs appeared to be written off by the Spanish tax authorities.
We haven’t heard the last of this.