Commission to investigate 7 Spanish football clubs

Earlier, the European Ombudswoman, Emily O'Reilly told the Commission to make a decision on the issue after other European clubs implied that the fact Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia is Spanish might be the reason such a probe had not been launched yet, European media reported.
The Spanish foreign ministry announced that the European Commission will also begin proceedings against Osasuna, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia and Elche in the Primera Division, also known as La Liga, as well as Hercules, who play in the second tier.
O'Reilly reportedly told Brussels to make a decision after investors in other European football clubs alleged that the Commission's inaction in this case might be linked to the fact that Almunia was the leader of the Socialists in the late 1990's until he was defeated in the 2000 election. He comes from Bilbao in the Basque region of northern Spain.
The Commissioner announced in April that the complaints concerned Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna, Valencia, Hercules and Elche.
"The government will fight to defend Spanish clubs because they're also part of the Spanish brand," said Spain's foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo.
Brussels will officially announce the probe on December 18 added Margallo, who denied that the clubs had broken EU rules.
He said Barcelona, Real Madrid, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao are accused of contravening European Union rules because they are still owned by their members and have benefited from favourable tax treatment.
The Commission, according to Margallo, will also probe Real over their training facilities and Bilbao over aid they received for the construction of their new stadium, which opened this season.
Valencia, Elche and Hercules will be investigated because of help the three clubs received from the regional government in the form of loans and bank guarantees.
The Spanish government is happy with the performance of Spanish football, the president of Spain's Sports Council Miguel Cardenal said on the same day in an interview on a local radio station.
Cardenal said that Spain were proud of their football because of the results they were achieving and encouraged the European Commissioner for Competition, Spain's Joaquin Almunia to explain at a press conference the reasons the investigation is being launched.
He added that Spanish football teams such as Barcelona and Real Madrid are subject to more taxes that of some European teams.