Re: Jornada 27 - Segunda división

Movilla discovers he’s sacked… via the Real Zaragoza website

Veteran midfielder José María Movilla was shocked to learn that he and team-mate Javier Paredes had been sacked by Real Zaragoza, via an official announcement on the club website and before he’d been notified.

39-year-old veteran campaigner José María Movilla had been suspended without pay by Real Zaragoza in the middle of January, following public criticism of their director general, Jesús García Pitarch, via comments on Twitter: “I may be childish, but what I never will be is cynical, a demagogue or a liar.”

The reason for such comments, was the ongoing situation surrounding failed promises to resolve late salary payments owed by the club, with Movilla amongst several players who denounced Real Zaragoza to the Spanish player’s association, AFE.

Unable to attend training or visit the club during his suspension, Movilla has been training with Madrid based fourth-tier side Rayo Majadahonda since the start of February, after Pitarch apparently intervened when the player had sought to train temporarily with the Atlético Madrid B team.

Perhaps the most lamentable insofar as the treatment of the player is concerned however, was the publication of an official announcement that Movilla and team-mate Paredes had been sacked, before the veteran player had even been notified himself.

Movilla & Paredes sacked by Real Zaragoza

“Real Zaragoza has communicated to the players, Javier Paredes Arango and José María Movilla, their sacking for economic reasons. The club thanks them for their services and wishes them luck in the future.”

Having seen that and in a state of utter disbelief, having expected to resolve his differences with the club and return at the start of March, when the suspension period was due to finish, Movilla once more took to Twitter, saying: “It’s lamentable that I find out via the club website that I’ve been sacked.”

The AFE are far from impressed about the situation either, having also Tweeted a comment of their own and with criticism towards Real Zaragoza, the LFP and the Spanish Sports Council (CSD).

“They say for ‘economic reasons’ and thus we ask, what use is the Economic Control of the LFP and CSD, when they have permitted the club to sign more players in January.”

What those comments from the AFE are pointing out, is that under the new Economic Control measures, clubs must prove that they are balancing their books, before they’re allowed to sign more players, supposedly in an attempt to see clubs operate on a more financially sound basis. Clearly in their opinion, Real Zaragoza have made these measures look farcical, having claimed that the sackings of Movilla and Paredes were for ‘economic reasons’ and will doubtless fight the corner of the players.

Whilst Movilla was obviously amongst the group of players protesting at their non-payment by Real Zaragoza, he is perhaps a shining example of team loyalty, having declared at the start of the season that his only intention to retire from the game, was once he had helped the team return to the Primera.

Meanwhile, Movilla is now a free-agent and able to sign for any other club, though at 39-years-old, that may prove difficult and additionally so, when many clubs have filled their squad registration slots, following the January transfer window.