Source:REUTERS/Ana Beltran
[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media reports, former police commissioner Villarejo (Jose Manuel Villarejo) was ordered to pay damages for alleging that Florentino Perez manipulated referees. The court found that the former police chief infringed the reputation of Real Madrid and its president, ruling that he pay 10,000 euros to each of them. In a 2023 radio interview, Villarejo stated that Florentino helped Real Madrid manipulate referees and matches: “Sandro Rosell i Feliu (the former Barcelona president) manipulated match outcomes through bribing referees, but all club presidents have done the same, including Florentino. But Barcelona was investigated by the judiciary, while Real Madrid was not; the two clubs’ actions and scandals are the same, yet in Spain, any accusation against Florentino cannot be pursued in court—whoever tries it commits suicide; he is untouchable.” Real Madrid subsequently announced that it would sue the former police chief, and the Madrid court deemed these remarks damaging to Real Madrid and its president, calling them “exaggerated.”
The editor believes Villarejo’s conclusions are clearly insulting, and even exceed the bounds of freedom of speech. Therefore, the court’s decision to order the former police chief to pay damages to Real Madrid and Florentino seems reasonable. What do fans make of this?