Yes Mr. President.....

Club President Jose Angel Serantes made some unusual noises over the weekend.....normally quiet (unlike many presidents in Spain) he usually opens his gob and rapidly inserts foot, having a talent for upsetting everybody. However....these quotes are about spot on....

The president of Hercules, who were promoted to Primera, has had some rather unfortunate telephone conversations tapped as part of a corruption investigation. In these, he discussed how he had bunged Cordoba's keeper for 100,000 euros (Hercules won the game 4 - 0), and involved some of the other sides that competed with Real Murcia in Segunda last season. The judge in the corruption case has ruled that the tapes cannot be used, so it looks like this will go unpunished.

"It's a disgrace. When you catch a cheat you must crush him. Even though it is difficult to prove, the last day in the second division there were 5 games that were rigged. The shady deals of other clubs have sent us to Segunda B. Our season was bad, but in the end they have conspired and we can't do anything about it. I still can't explain the penalty against us in the last minute. The Professional Futbol League know that matches are auctioned. Now a big cake that we all knew about has been discovered, but it seems no decisions will be made as neither the Federation or the league want to get involved, and even less so the politicians. In the future, when such actions are considered a crime it will be different, but, I repeat, it is a disgrace".

Some times I think Spain is a modern european country....then something like this comes up, a clear case of match rigging, then nothing gets done......and it is back to being a banana republic.

Anyhow, well done Serantes, better late than never. The first time I actually agree with him! I just woner if some of the same direct remarks, made when we were being abused weekly by the refs, would have made the ref at Girona think differently when blowing for such a soft soft penalty, last minute, to relegate Real Murcia. Then he (and his boss Uncle Sam) were silent....