A Swansea council spokesperson said: "The European Commission has asked us a number of questions in relation to the Liberty Stadium and currently we are in dialogue with them, as are a large number of sports clubs from across Europe." If it is proved that the use of the Liberty Stadium breaks European law, then both clubs could face having to pay back money, plus interest.
A spokesperson for Premier League Swansea City said: "The club is aware that the European Commission is currently in discussions with Swansea City Council in relation to the Liberty Stadium."We have asked to be kept informed of any future development." The Ospreys have been contacted for a response. The European Commission investigation is looking into alleged illegal state aid involving several clubs including Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Legal advice
Meanwhile, Carmarthenshire council said it had not been contacted by the commission over Parc y Scarlets, where Scarlets rugby region have played since 2008. Earlier this month, the authority denied claims by a funding expert that it had broken regulations in the way it gave more than £20m to Scarlets. The council said it remained confident about independent legal advice taken in 2007 that state aid rules did not apply in this case.
Parc y Scarlets and related facilities cost £25.4m to build, and £18.3m was provided in differing forms by Carmarthenshire council. The land is owned by the authority but the stadium and surrounding land has been leased to the club for 150 years. The European Commission said it had not been notified of these payments.
