The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has expressed its outrage as arguments over the choice of venue for this year’s Copa del Rey final rumble on.
Finalists Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona await the outcome of a meeting with the Spanish Football Federation on March 25 when a decision will be made, but the issue has now taken on a political dimension after Real Madrid President Florentino Perez declined to offer the Santiago Bernabeu as a possible alternative.
“Perez appears to own the whole of Spain,” fumed PNV President Andoni Ortuzar in an interview with Basque radio station Euskadi Radio.
“It’s disgraceful that he can decide where a final is to be played, but it’s their loss. They are more concerned with not seeing the Basques or Catalans flying their flags there than anything else.”
Unai Rementeria, presidential candidate for the Biscay Provincial Parliament, also commented on the matter.
“If it was up to us we’d go to England [to play the game] and if the Queen of England and the King of Spain wanted to attend, then why not?” she asked.
