By Iain Rogers
MADRID Fri Dec 20, 2013 5:42am EST
<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/> MADRID (Reuters) - A European Commission probe into possible illegal state aid to seven Spanish soccer clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona is not part of a malicious campaign against Spain, one of the complainants said on Friday.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Loek Jorritsma, a retired senior policy adviser at the Netherlands ministry of sports, made a formal complaint in 2010 highlighting what he believed was illegal aid to clubs in his native Holland as well as to Real.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>The Commission opened an investigation into five Dutch clubs, including PSV Eindhoven, in March and launched a separate probe into Real, Barca, Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna, Valencia, Elche and Hercules on Wednesday.
<span id="midArticle_3"/>The announcement of the Spanish investigation prompted a furious response, with some claiming it was driven by envy at the world and European champions' recent successes.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>Real president Florentino Perez labeled it "a campaign against Spanish football" and said the world's richest club by income had done nothing wrong, while secretary of state for sports Miguel Cardenal complained of "damage to Spain's image".
<span id="midArticle_5"/>Jorritsma said his motivation was to identify possible instances of illegal state aid to professional clubs wherever they occurred in Europe.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>"It's a campaign on behalf of competitive balance, against foul play and for a level playing field, which is disturbed by state aid," Jorritsma told Reuters.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>"I treat the Dutch clubs and all European clubs the same way," the 70-year-old added.
<span id="midArticle_8"/>"It is state aid and they are professional organizations like banks or any other enterprise.
<span id="midArticle_9"/>"It's not culture and there is no law that gives you any freedom to jeopardize the market."
<span id="midArticle_10"/>Jorritsma is not the only complainant in the Spanish case and the EU has said a representative of "several European clubs" also filed a formal objection.
<span id="midArticle_11"/>The Commission has declined to reveal their identity, saying it was a confidential matter.
<span id="midArticle_12"/>TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
<span id="midArticle_13"/>Jorritsma is happy to go on the record, however.
<span id="midArticle_14"/>"I am a former civil servant and I don't like to do things anonymously and I take responsibility for the things I do," he said.
<span id="midArticle_15"/>Representatives of some of the Dutch clubs he denounced had even threatened him with physical violence, he added.
<span id="midArticle_0"/>"I explained my reasons to them and in the end they all thought I was very brave.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>"Because of my professional background I know how to formulate things."
<span id="midArticle_2"/>One of the areas Jorritsma highlighted is a property deal Real struck with the City of Madrid in 2011 that the Commission said appeared "very advantageous".
<span id="midArticle_3"/>The swap deal was based on a re-evaluation of a plot of land at a value of 22.7 million euros ($31 million), instead of its earlier supposed value in 1998 of 595,000 euros.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>The Spanish investigation, which could take many months to conclude, is also examining whether Real, Barca, Bilbao and Osasuna benefited from special tax treatment.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>Valencia, Elche and Hercules allegedly received illegal financial assistance from the regional government in the form of loans and bank guarantees.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>All deny wrongdoing and the Spanish government has said it would fight to prevent the clubs being forced to pay back any aid deemed to be illegal.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>(Editing by John O'Brien)
<span id="midArticle_8"/>
MADRID Fri Dec 20, 2013 5:42am EST
<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/> MADRID (Reuters) - A European Commission probe into possible illegal state aid to seven Spanish soccer clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona is not part of a malicious campaign against Spain, one of the complainants said on Friday.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Loek Jorritsma, a retired senior policy adviser at the Netherlands ministry of sports, made a formal complaint in 2010 highlighting what he believed was illegal aid to clubs in his native Holland as well as to Real.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>The Commission opened an investigation into five Dutch clubs, including PSV Eindhoven, in March and launched a separate probe into Real, Barca, Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna, Valencia, Elche and Hercules on Wednesday.
<span id="midArticle_3"/>The announcement of the Spanish investigation prompted a furious response, with some claiming it was driven by envy at the world and European champions' recent successes.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>Real president Florentino Perez labeled it "a campaign against Spanish football" and said the world's richest club by income had done nothing wrong, while secretary of state for sports Miguel Cardenal complained of "damage to Spain's image".
<span id="midArticle_5"/>Jorritsma said his motivation was to identify possible instances of illegal state aid to professional clubs wherever they occurred in Europe.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>"It's a campaign on behalf of competitive balance, against foul play and for a level playing field, which is disturbed by state aid," Jorritsma told Reuters.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>"I treat the Dutch clubs and all European clubs the same way," the 70-year-old added.
<span id="midArticle_8"/>"It is state aid and they are professional organizations like banks or any other enterprise.
<span id="midArticle_9"/>"It's not culture and there is no law that gives you any freedom to jeopardize the market."
<span id="midArticle_10"/>Jorritsma is not the only complainant in the Spanish case and the EU has said a representative of "several European clubs" also filed a formal objection.
<span id="midArticle_11"/>The Commission has declined to reveal their identity, saying it was a confidential matter.
<span id="midArticle_12"/>TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
<span id="midArticle_13"/>Jorritsma is happy to go on the record, however.
<span id="midArticle_14"/>"I am a former civil servant and I don't like to do things anonymously and I take responsibility for the things I do," he said.
<span id="midArticle_15"/>Representatives of some of the Dutch clubs he denounced had even threatened him with physical violence, he added.
<span id="midArticle_0"/>"I explained my reasons to them and in the end they all thought I was very brave.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>"Because of my professional background I know how to formulate things."
<span id="midArticle_2"/>One of the areas Jorritsma highlighted is a property deal Real struck with the City of Madrid in 2011 that the Commission said appeared "very advantageous".
<span id="midArticle_3"/>The swap deal was based on a re-evaluation of a plot of land at a value of 22.7 million euros ($31 million), instead of its earlier supposed value in 1998 of 595,000 euros.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>The Spanish investigation, which could take many months to conclude, is also examining whether Real, Barca, Bilbao and Osasuna benefited from special tax treatment.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>Valencia, Elche and Hercules allegedly received illegal financial assistance from the regional government in the form of loans and bank guarantees.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>All deny wrongdoing and the Spanish government has said it would fight to prevent the clubs being forced to pay back any aid deemed to be illegal.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>(Editing by John O'Brien)
<span id="midArticle_8"/>
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