The Yellows’ president believes the competition could resume when the healthcare authorities allow it
Villarreal CF president Fernando Roig underlined this Thursday that it would be positive to be able to restart the competition when the healthcare authorities allow it: “It would be good for everyone to be able to finish the season, even if it is behind closed doors, with the green light from the authorities. LaLiga is working on that and has prevention measures to make this return possible.”
He appeared in front of the media in a press conference which took place at the facilities of PAMESA Group, the club’s main sponsor, to explain the prevention measures taken by the business against COVID-19. Adolfo Muñoz, head of medical services at Villarreal, also took party, explaining the medical protocol.
During the press conference, Roig explained that the club has reached an agreement with the first team for a salary reduction, and that the club has ruled out an ERTE (special measures allowing companies to temporarily lay off staff or cut hours): “For me, the main objective and something that I’m proud of is that we can keep the jobs for our employees both at Villarreal and at the Pamesa Group, which is why we decided not to take this option.”
Roig also underlined the need for a collective effort for the league to come to a close, once agreements are reached between all necessary parties: “Football gives jobs to 180,000 people and is 1% of this country’s GDP. We shouldn’t cancel the competition. We all need to put work in, so when it’s possible, the machine starts working again.”
He also used the press conference to commend the excellent work being carried out by healthcare workers in Spain to fight the COVID-19 pandemic: “They’re heroes, like the armed forces and the police and civil guard, as well as the primary sector workers in our country. Without them, this fight wouldn’t be possible.”
Finally, the Yellows president added that, should the competition resume, Villarreal would do what was necessary to avoid contagion: “We’ve already done detection tests. We would repeat them before we ame back. We’re one of the few teams with a residence at our training grounds. We could base ourselves there.”
