Ultras in Valencia and Villar getting grumpy

Yesterday there were further arrests in relation to the serious brawl by the River Manzanares and the death of ‘Jimmy’, the unfortunate Deportivo ultra. These latest arrests took place in Valencia. As can be seen there have been arrests in Valencia, Madrid, Talavera, Seseña, Cuenca, Ávila, Gijón and A Coruña - and I don’t know if I forgot about some - but they have all been made in connection with the case. That gives an idea of the magnitude of the madness and of how oblivious we were to the scale that these things can reach. The arrests are good news except, of course, for the families of the arrested and for the detained themselves. But it is good news for the rest of us because this should mark a before and an after.

Meanwhile in Madrid, Villar (head of the Spanish Football Federation) finally appeared, and it could be said he did so to put his foot in it. In the afternoon the measures that will be available were approved, more or less, and with some reservations on the part of Villar (there are sections that will need to be altered). Previously the measures had been agreed with his three ‘messengers’, regional presidents, who he’s now left in an awkward spot. Apart from that, he’s produced out of nowhere a Working Committee, a new body that seems to have no other reason for existing other than to exclude Spain’s National Sports Agency. That is, the Government. Villar is having a spat with the president of the Agency, Miguel Cardenal, and that’s what he really cares about.

A bad situation, because we’re dealing with public order here. And I’m worried that what he’s doing isn’t just because of his previous anger with Cardenal, though that too, but because in his bizarre version of events he doesn’t see the ultras problem like the rest of us do. The craziness of Manzanares has created a generalised feeling across all walks of football life that it’s time to put an end this once and for all. Everybody agrees, except for Villar. I see him with the mentality of feeling that football is being blamed for something that isn’t connected to the sport, when in fact it is. Ultras are a football phenomenon and what’s going now is about kicking them out. But Villar spends his time creating obstacles.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1zsWKkj

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