The controversy is served. After the recent statements by Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte, expressing his discontent over the provisional measures for Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, Joan Gaspart has spoken up. The former president of FC Barcelona, in statements to the podcast Solo para culés, was blunt and cast doubts on a relegation that should've happened 30 years ago.
It all started with the host of this podcast, Jota Jordi. "When the League saved Athletic from relegation to Second Division 30 years ago and when they boast about domestic rules, about playing only with Basques... Yesterday, a player born in Madrid and raised in Portugal played. So boasting about rules, president of Athletic Club? No!"
Joan Gaspart Drops a Bomb and Points to Athletic Club
After this, Joan Gaspart, president of FC Barcelona between 2000 and 2003, didn't hold back. "How lucky the president of Bilbao was that the president of Barcelona was Laporta. If Gaspart had been in the box... If I were the president, we'd be on the front page of the New York Times."
In this regard, about Jota Jordi's statement, he was blunt. "I was vice president of the RFEF (the Federation) and I'll take what happened to the grave.
"Bilbao was miraculously saved and won all the matches in the final rounds. They didn't deserve to be relegated to Second Division and I'm delighted. And I'm not saying the Federation helped Athletic avoid relegation," concluded Joan Gaspart.
Athletic Club: Salvation under Suspicion
All this that Joan Gaspart mentions happened in the 1995/96 season, when Athletic Club avoided relegation in the final matchday. They ended up winning 3-1 against Rayo Vallecano, with their salvation under suspicion.
The former president of FC Barcelona didn't want to speak further about it, but one thing is clear: he's already publicly questioned. In his capacity as a former vice president of the Federation, these words probably won't be free of charge and he'll have to back them up with evidence. However, one thing is clear: Athletic Club can't talk too much, or so it seems.