Published By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: March 11, 2023, 08:08 IST
Barcelona’s Camp Nou (Reuters)
Spanish prosecutors have filed a grievance 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
Spanish prosecutors on Friday charged Barcelona with corruption over funds the membership made to a former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee by means of an organization owned by him.
According to the prosecution, the Catalan membership paid a complete of greater than 7.3 million euros to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, former referee and ex-vice president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish soccer federation between 1994 and 2018.
Two of the membership’s former presidents, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, in addition to Enriquez Negreira are dealing with the identical cost, originating from the Barcelona prosecutor’s workplace.
Enriquez Negreira was allegedly paid for offering the membership with recommendation on matters referring to referees.
“FC Barcelona obtained and maintained a strictly confidential verbal settlement with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira in order that, in his capability as vice-president of the Technical Arbitral Committee (CTA) and in trade for cash, the latter carries out actions tending to learn FC Barcelona in choices by the referees,” defined the Barcelona public prosecutor’s workplace.
The investigation began after Spain’s tax authorities identified irregularities in tax payments made between 2016 and 2018 by the company Dasnil 95 — owned by Enriquez Negreira.
Dasnil 95 reportedly received payments from Barcelona between those years.
The last invoice, according to Cadena Ser radio, was issued in June 2018. After that the CTA was restructured and Enriquez Negreira left the organisation.
This week, current Barca boss Joan Laporta insisted his club had never “bought referees”.
Reports declare the Catalan facet paid 6.5 million euros ($6.9 million) between 2001 and 2018 to Enriquez Negreira’s agency.
“Let or not it’s clear Barca have by no means purchased referees and Barca have by no means had the intention of shopping for referees, completely by no means,” said Laporta on Tuesday.
Barcelona says Dasnil 95 was paid to advise the club on refereeing matters. But the prosecutors suspect the money could have been used to corrupt game officials.
On the sporting level, Barcelona face no immediate danger because the governing bodies of Spanish, European and world football have five-year statute of limitations, Liga president Javier Tebas has said.
On the criminal level, the accused could face up to four years in prison.
Sanctions against the club could range from ‘suspension of activity…to outright dissolution’ as a company,” Alberto Palomar, professor of regulation at Carlos III University of Madrid instructed AFP.
The case has solid a shadow over Spain’s refereeing physique, which final week demanded {that a} single particular person’s alleged actions not “tarnish” the “image” and “honour” of all referees.
“The problem concerns us because it harms Spanish football and sport,” Spanish Culture and Sports Minister Miquel Iceta stated on Tuesday.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated news company feed)
Ritayan BasuRitayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com, covers badminton and cricket however soccer stays his forte. Follow him at @ritayanbasu…Read More
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