Alfonso Cabeza Borque is president of Atletico Madrid from 1980 to 1982. Dr. Cabeza, born in Bubierca (Zaragoza) in 1939 and a follower of rojiblanco since he was young, became director of the Madrid club as head of the hospital of La Paz and after the resignation of Vicente Calderónsuffering from the economic crisis of the entity.
Head, 83 years old, He is the only living former president of Atlético and attended the Metropolitan box as a guest for the team’s 120th anniversary commemoration on April 26.
Loquacious and blunt in his presentations, the doctor’s tests, in an interview with EFE, some current aspects of Spanish football, about the ‘Negreira case’, and remains restless in his opinion on referees. “They are worse than when I was president,” he said.
Years passed, but Atlético recognized his work as president by inviting him to the Metropolitan box on the 120th anniversary. Do you feel comfortable?
“It’s unbelievable how well they treated me. I feel great. I have nothing but words of thanks to everyone. To Cerezo, to Gil Marín. To the whole club in general. The stadium they built is amazing -amazing. Very good. You have to support them because they have achieved a lot for the club”.
Athletics remember him for his criticism of referees. Did they cost the 1981 League?
“I said what I thought. That year they told me they would chase me and on April 5, 1981 against Zaragoza they lifted the game and the Liga for us. Alvarez Margüenda was the referee. We had to win 4- 1 and we lost 1 -2. Robi and Marcos were sent off and two penalties were not whistled”.
Arbitrators are now very topical, this time because of the Negreira case. What did you think when you found out?
“Well, I already said it at the time. Where there is money, there is corruption and this can happen in all areas of life.”
You prove that the 1981 League was prepared for Real Madrid.
“That league was prepared for Madrid, but one of them did some justice at the end and allowed Zamora’s goal in Molinón for Real Sociedad to win the Liga, where Madrid is already celebrating the title in the field of Valladolid”.
Has Spanish arbitration improved compared to before?
“It got worse. The referees are worse now than before. They should be better prepared now than in my time. They have better physical conditions and better methods, but they are worse. They the worst in Spanish football. I like VAR because it They came to show how hard they are. And they earn a fortune. It’s unbelievable that a referee earns 300,000 euros and a surgeon 60,000. The country it’s a joke”.
His criticism of the arbitrators led to a 16-month disqualification in 1981 and the lawsuit of 27 of them. Do you feel that, once the Negreira case broke, you were vindicated at the right time?
“I denounced all this 40 years ago. That’s why they disqualified me and sued me, because it was uncomfortable. Álvarez Margüenda we met months after the game in Zaragoza, me and my wife and he asked us for forgiveness . If he asks us for forgiveness it’s because I must have done something wrong. The referee got worse. It’s a dictatorship. In this country you can say you don’t agree with a judge’s decision, but if you talk bad to a referee, if you say what he did was wrong, they put you in four games. They don’t even talk, you can’t even call them bad. It’s not about insulting, it’s about telling the truth, which is very bad them.”
Enríquez Negreira was with you during your time as president. Now it is known that he received payments from Barcelona as vice president of the Referees Committee.
“Yes. He referred at that time. The Alvarez Margüenda League annoyed us. They were bad in general, but they were not prepared like now, which is even worse. They believe in figurines in stadiums where there are 60,000 spectators. It cannot be that the economic budgets of clubs depend on the decisions of these gentlemen”.
What did you do when you left the presidency in 1982?
“Dedicate myself to my profession as a doctor until I retired in 2004, at the age of 65. Now I live very quietly. I am 83 years old and I feel very well. I spend good times in La Manga. I walk, watch television and read.”
Do you follow Atlético?
“I don’t go to the stadium, but I see it on television. On the day of the 120th anniversary they invited me and I liked the stadium. It’s beautiful. The club is in another dimension now. You have to let them Work. I told the them (to Gil Marín na Cerezo) that whatever I can help them with, they can count on me”.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
