Barcelona is said to have paid more than €6.5 million between 2001 and 2018 to a company owned by José Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Spanish referees’ commission. Spanish media suggest that Barcelona was trying to influence refereeing matters.
UEFA’s ethics committee will now also investigate the matter. The European Union has appointed inspectors to determine whether Barcelona has violated UEFA rules in the Negreira case.
Not a good explanation Barcelona
“Football’s reputation is at stake,” La Liga president Javier Tebas said recently. “I am ashamed. We have not heard a good explanation from Barcelona.”
Chairman Joan Laporta denies allegations of bribery allegedly committed under his predecessors. According to Laporta, it is pure slander and an attempt to “stain the logo” of the club that is heading for the national title in Spain this season.
Real Madrid, Barcelona’s great rival, has joined the prosecution’s indictment as a ‘duped party’. The Ministry of Justice has placed the case in the hands of the department that specializes in anti-corruption.