Alemany threatens to sue RFEF and UEFA
The water in which Real Mallorca currently resides has now become a lot murkier. CEO Mateu Alemany has threatened to sue the RFEF and UEFA if Mallorca’s UEFA Licence is revoked. Meanwhile, Sevilla have reported Mallorca for the non-payment of Jose Marti, Manzano ‘explodes’ over non-payment of contracts and Athletic Bilbao have distanced themselves from requesting Mallorca be removed from Europe.
We are fast approaching the deadline set by UEFA for deciding whether Mallorca will enter the Europa League or not and the omens don’t look good. UEFA canceled their visit to the ONO Estadi for a stadium check and they were removed from the participants list on the UEFA website. Alemany has reacted furiously with the directors of both organisations and threatened to take the case to court.
Alemany said, “the Spanish federation and UEFA gave us the licence. We don’t understand. Everyone was aware that once we were given the licence, we’d file for bankruptcy under the Insolvency Act. I am convinced no one should stop us in the offices from competing in what we earned on the pitch.”
Problems accumulate
But the problems for Real Mallorca continue to accumulate. Sevilla have now reported Mallorca to the RFEF for the non-payment of Pep Marti. Marti signed for no fee until the summer of 2010 from Sevilla but with clauses in his contract. One of the clauses was the payment of £185,000 to Sevilla if Marti competed in at least 30 games for the club. But now Mallorca have been declared bankrupt, they are no longer required to pay that amount in full according to Spanish laws.
Meanwhile, former manager Gregorio Manzano has ‘exploded’, according to reports in Spain, over the non-payment of his contract along with other members of the backroom staff. He stated that the arrival of Alemany saw the payments of monthly wages and bonuses restored but the bonus agreed for finishing fifth in the league has gone without payment and now, due to Spanish bankruptcy laws, does not have to be paid. Manzano also said, “as you can see, my relationship with Mateu is surprisingly void”.
Athletic Bilbao, however, have distanced themselves from reports that they attempted to have Mallorca removed from the Europa League. In a statement posted on it’s official website, the club stated, “there is no complaint on our part in regards to Mallorca competing in the Europa League. Our dealings with the RFEF is only to highlight the debt owed to us.”
Despite this, Villarreal’s general manager Fernando Roig is convinced that his club will replace Mallorca in Europe. “We did everything we had to do and I am optimistic, because if UEFA sets a standard, we must comply.”