A Surprise Visit in Cantabria

Sunday’s potential relegation dogfight between Racing Santander and Real Sociedad was never going to live up to the events that unfolded in such dramatic fashion earlier on in the day. And it didn’t even come close. At the end of the 90 minutes the referee, Velasco Carballo, called an end to proceedings in which both sides cancelled each other out and shared the modest spoils in a rather dull scoreless draw.

The real story had already taken place, and boy was it juicy! Straight from the trashy of a soap opera scriptwriter the unexpected twist in the torrid tale of Racing’s ownership conundrum meant the club’s General Meeting of Shareholders was going to be an unforgettable one. Ironically it took place in Santander’s Faculty of Economics, Business and Law, three broad concepts the club has not exactly given much importance to in recent years.

The under fire board

The much-anticipated redistribution of power within the Cantabria club was not to occur as previously thought. The various groups making up the meeting were expecting to put an end to an embarrassing 2011 for the club by electing a new board to stir the bankrupt ship out of trouble, but not before a very unwelcome surprise visit.

The almost pantomime villain-esque current club owner and majority shareholder (98%), Alí Syed, who has been on the run from Interpol since earlier this year (not the doleful rock outfit, the international criminal investigation one), decided to show up. Well, as good as. From beneath the rock he has presumably been hiding under he sent his henchman, Werber Horst, and a translator, to do his bidding for him and throw a spanner in the works of change.

Much to the ire of those in attendance a new board was formed before their helpless eyes, consisting of Ramón Muñiz, the ex Bezana president, Ángel Lavín Iglesias, Fernando Burgués and Fernando Ortiz, ex president of the Association of Racinguista Supporters. When Francisco Pernía, the as of Sunday ex president of the club, announced the names things really came to a head, especially when Fernando Ortiz’s name escaped the former race car driver’s lips. Ortiz’s involvement in Syed’s acquisition of the club in the first place is seen as the main reason for the club’s sorry state and provoked some heckling and the odd cry of “traitor” to be heard.

Horst lying low as anger spills out behind him

The tension really kicked in when acting president of the Supports Association, Bernardo Colsa called for the minority shareholders to show their disgust by walking out. This caused extraordinary scenes as the auditorium cleared out with certain groups sticking around to belt out a chorus of “Nosotros somos el Racing” (We are Racing) in unison after a rousing attack on the board members by the aforementioned Colsa. Those who stuck around to ask questions used the floor as a way to vent their understandable frustration and hurl some accusations and abuse at the board members. The fan’s wrath was full on and no punches were pulled. The audience interrogated the board members about the €16 million debt accumulated over the past year and the irresponsible stewardship of the club. Their loyalty to the montañeses was also questioned, with prominent board member, Roberto Bedoya’s salary being accusingly referred to as his sole reason for devotion to the club, “your racinguismo cost €120,000”, which was followed by rousing applause and cheering.

However, as riled up as the minority shareholders were about how things had paned out, there was nothing they could do about it. Calls to have another vote fell on deaf ears and after all the fury and antagonism the meeting was adjourned by Pernía, who himself was not to leave untarnished, “We (the fans) would ask you to leave us the keys to your Audi on the table and tell us where it is”.

Only a day later and the overwhelming pressure on the new board had taken it’s toll on the two of the members. Fernando Burgués and Fernando Ortiz both resigned just a day later sighting the importance of their families well being as a major factor in their decision-making.

What comes next remains to be seen. The fact that Syed absconded for legal reasons is not something that has gone unnoticed by indignant fans, and lawyer Javier Noriega made reference to this when he called on the bankruptcy administrators to rectify the “shameful” situation. Whether Syed’s power can be dissolved through legal means won’t be known until after winter at the earliest. Until then the ice cold relationship between fans and the board is unlikely to thaw.

While the team may not be putting the world alight on the pitch, the commotion behind the scenes is enough for this blogger to hope the club stays up this season. Car crash entertainment value of Jerry Springer proportions.