He commented that professional sports teams should be treated as a different company, and so far society was fully assuming that these clubs receive public subsidies and have debts.

For years, companies and professional sports teams have not received the same treatment, in many ways, in recruitment, in tax matters… By way of example: the free movement of workers was banned until the European Court of Justice (EU) passed the Bosman Law in 1995 [see table]. On the other hand, it should be mentioned that the debts accumulated with the Social Security or with the Treasury, or the special treatment received by clubs and players, have been cancelled.

Links between big business and sport are common: Kutxabank is a sponsor of Athletic and Real Sociedad, Caja Laboral Baskonia has been until 2016... What do you think about it?

Large companies have a social responsibility that can be realised in different ways. If one of them is to support sport, I think it is good. But I have doubts as to whether the receiver should be a professional sport, because it should work on the basis of other parameters. Private companies should not enjoy tax privileges for the protection of professional sport [refers to the tax benefits regulated by Law 49/2002].

It is often said that there are sports groups that contribute a lot socio-economic to society, which justifies the perception of public aid.

I believe that only major events and some sports competitions have a socio-economic impact. And these events are able to stand on their own, they don't need public help. I see that receiving institutional support is fair, but that it is not done in economic terms.

In that sense, football has always won. It's like a wheel: who creates the monetary movement, institutions support it, that generates more money movement, helps more...

It is clear that football is the sport with the greatest socio-economic impact, but that is precisely why it should be maintained on its own. It doesn't need help, it generates enough income to be able to self-finance.

I believe that the administration should help elite sport, but not the professional, because it is due to a company.

The case of the subsidies of San Mamés, Anoeta… has generated a great stir in recent times, especially since the outbreak of the crisis.

Sports teams should be treated like other companies, as I said earlier. The San Mamés and Anoeta cases are not the same. The first is privately owned and the club should bear the cost of the works, as any other factory does in the renovation and expansion of its facilities. But the owner of Anoeta is the City Hall of Donostia-San Sebastián, and it is up to the public authorities to investigate the need to transform that space, considering that it should be used by the community.

At a time when almost everything is measured in economic values, what other factors should be taken into account?

As in the rest of life, in music or in art, other values must be taken into account in addition to the economic issue. If one thing we know is that physical exercise brings great health benefits, that sport goes beyond what it is.

What role does the university play in all this?

Like any other sector of society, the university has to discuss issues that need deep reflection, and sport is one of them.