Brussels will blow the whistle on Spanish football foul play on Monday with a decision that will force Real Madrid and FC Barcelona to repay illegal state subsidies enjoyed for a quarter century.
Margrethe Vestager, EU competition commissioner, will tell Spain to recoup tens of millions of euros of unlawful aid to seven clubs that came in the form of soft loans, tax breaks and sweetheart property deals.
The European Commission decision will require Real Madrid to pay back 18.4m of state support from a complex land deal with the Madrid local authority, according to people familiar with the case. Real Madrid, who won the Uefa Champions League in May, and three other clubs Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and CA Osasuna will also be forced to forgo a non-profit style tax privilege they have enjoyed since 1990