Barcelona, the prominent European football club, faces allegations of bribery related to payments exceeding €7 million ($7.3 million) made to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former referee and vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA). These payments, as reported by Forbes, span from 2001 to 2018, occurring during Negreira’s tenure with the refereeing committee. This development may potentially lead to Barcelona’s suspension from the Champions League, although no arrests are currently planned, according to police sources.
Notably, former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell also face similar bribery charges. Rosell served as the club’s president from 2010 to 2014, while Bartomeu succeeded him and resigned in 2020, with Joan Laporta becoming the new president in 2021. Laporta has denied any wrongdoing, contending that the payments were for “technical reports on refereeing.”
Spanish authorities conducted a raid on the offices of the refereeing committee at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in Madrid in connection with the case. The RFEF expressed its cooperation with the investigation in an official statement.
Barcelona’s current head coach, Xavi, shared his perspective on the matter, stating that he has never felt that the club benefited from refereeing decisions and is primarily focused on sporting matters.
Amidst these developments, Barcelona reported a net profit of €304 million after taxes for the 2022-23 financial year and announced annual consolidated revenue exceeding €1 billion for the same period.
On the field, Barcelona is currently in third place in the La Liga standings, having remained unbeaten in the domestic league through seven games. Their next match is against Sevilla.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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