Spanish Prosecutors Charge Barcelona On Illegal Payments To Referees’ Chief

Barcelona on Friday was hit with corruption charges by Spanish Prosecutors over payments made to the former Vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee.

Former Barcelona presidents, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Russell are also facing corruption charges.

Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who held that role between 1994 and 2018, is also facing charges of corruption in a case brought by the Spanish public prosecutor’s office, as is Josep Maria Bartomeu, Barca president from 2014-2020, and Sandro Rosell, president from 2010-2014.

At a court in Barcelona on Friday it was stated that Barcelona have been indicted for corruption, a breach of trust and false business records, with former club officials and Negreira himself, also being indicted.

Between 2001 and 2018 Barcelona reportedly paid Negreira and a company he owns £ 7.4 million.

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As well as the club itself, former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell are also being targeted by the lawsuit, which is being brought by the Barcelona public prosecutor’s office.

Laporta insisted that he will not step down and also claimed that Barcelona had never bought referees.

Barcelona manager Xavi stated last month that he had no knowledge of the payments.

Xavi said: ‘I always wanted to win, but fairly. If I thought we were cheating I’d have gone home.’

The payments emerged after tax authorities investigated Negreira’s company Dasnil 95.

Between 2016 and 2018 Barcelona made payments to the company totalling £ 1.2 million, while between 2001 and 2018 they paid Negreira about £ 6.2 million.