Real: MEP criticizes the role of a bank supported by Europe in the transfer of Gareth Bale

Derk Jan Eppink, Dutch member of the European Parliament has asked the European Commission to investigate the role of Spanish bank Bankia in the transfer of Welsh player Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for €100m (according to Tottenham, the selling club) on the 09/09/2013.

"Real Madrid have a debt of close to €600m, financed in large parts by Caja de Madrid, a regional bank which is now part of Bankia. Bankia, a bank recently saved through the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) for no less than €18bn, now backs this purchase by Real Madrid as well. Certainly these European funds cannot be used as a backstop for these unsustainable practices" said the Dutch MP on his blog.

"Does the Commission judge these financial arrangements as a distortion of competition between clubs that are competing at European level?" Derk Jan Eppink asked. "Is the Commission aware of this situation and if so, how is it going to respond to European taxpayer's money being used in such deals? " he added.

• Real Madrid have denied that Bankia and its subsidiary Caja Madrid played a role in the transfer of Gareth Bale…