Judge Pedraz's detailed examination of the Villar case
It’s there for all to see, in 44 pages, and in chilling detail. Whoever might be interested in the finer technicalities of the case, it’s all freely available, in black and white, online. Judge Santiago Pedraz's judicial decree in the Villar case makes rather grim reading; it is a stark, in-depth study of his modus operandi – a system of political clientelism not entirely dissimilar to the electoral fraud which took place during the Restoration at the tail end of the 19th Century. The information disclosed within those 44 pages is extremely revealing and it is certainly worthwhile taking the time to read the document in full. It clearly explains who is who, in the case - and it is many years which are under the microscope due to the longevity of Villar’s tenure.
Nepotism, backhanders, quid pro quo clientelism
It is noteworthy that [former Spanish Sports Minister] Rafael Cortés Elvira is portrayed – if only fleetingly, in the report; he was the right-hand man of Javier Gómez Navarro, who played a key role in organizing the Barcelona 92 Olympics. Cortés Elvira’s part in the scheme was a clear case of freeloading – he was another one of those who always found some way of filling his own flask from that bottomless well. And now his name appears in the judicial report as another one of those implicated in the tangle of favours, fraud, nepotism and backhanders which were allowed to flourish under Villar’s reign.
At least the 2017/18 LaLiga fixtures calendar draw was able to go ahead more or less as planned. Everything has changed but continues as before. And while the current Minister for Education and Sport Iñigo Méndez de Vigo now feels he is free to jump on the bandwagon and upbraid Villar – the man he once protected, football continues to trundle along as it always has. In the most unexpected moments, anarchy tends to reclaim its place. So there is no Football Federation but we do have dates for the start of LaLiga. Villar is behind bars in Soto del Real prison and he won’t have the pleasure of naming his board of directors but LaLiga’s fixtures have been sorted out. All we can do for time being being is go with the flow, because football will take care of itself.