Prosecutors sue Barcelona for allegedly shopping for refereeing favours

Former Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu is seen subsequent to a FC Barcelona’s emblem. Prosecutors are suing him over alleged funds to an organization owned by a senior refereeing official to affect match outcomes
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Spanish prosecutors have filed a criticism towards Barcelona and two of the LaLiga membership’s ex-presidents over alleged funds to an organization owned by a senior refereeing official to affect match outcomes, the general public prosecutor’s workplace stated on Friday.

A decide has but to resolve whether or not to take up the case.

The membership allegedly paid over €7.3 million ($7.8 million) between 2001 and 2018 to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was vice-president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish soccer affiliation in 1993-2018.

Prosecutors declare that underneath a secret settlement and “in exchange for money”, Negreira favoured Barcelona “in the decisions taken by referees in the games played by the club, as well as in the results of the competitions”.

Barcelona didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The membership denied wrongdoing in an announcement final month, saying they’d merely paid an exterior marketing consultant that provided them with “technical reports related to professional refereeing”, calling it “a common practice among professional football clubs”.

The criticism focuses on the €2.9 million paid between 2014 and 2018 and alleges that Barcelona — with the assistance of former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu — reached a “confidential verbal agreement” with Negreira.

It accuses the membership, Rosell, Bartomeu, Negreira and two different former Barcelona officers of corruption in sports activities, unfair administration and falsehood in mercantile paperwork.

The investigation was triggered by a tax inspection. Negreira informed the Spanish tax company that Barcelona’s purpose with the funds was to have “neutral” referees of their video games, based on El Pais newspaper.