Overview

• Brussels has formally closed the file and instructed the Madrid City Council to return nearly €20 million to the club, with the final sum rising due to interest accrued during years of delay.
• The dispute traces to a 2011 land exchange that compensated Real Madrid for a plot that could not be delivered under a 1998 agreement after changes to Spain’s Land Law.
• In 2016 the European Commission had labeled the transaction undue state aid, asserting an overvaluation of about €18.5 million and requiring roughly €20 million be paid into municipal coffers.
• The Court of Justice of the European Union overturned that finding in 2019, ruling the deal reflected market conditions and ordering the funds be returned to Real Madrid.
• Real Madrid welcomed the Commission’s compliance in an official statement, saying the 2011 agreement does not constitute state aid and emphasizing the club’s transparency and integrity.