Prosecutors pursue case against Barcelona over alleged refereeing deal

Spanish prosecutors person revenge a title against Barcelona and 2 of nan La Liga club’s erstwhile presidents complete alleged payments to a institution owned by a elder refereeing charismatic to power results, nan nationalist prosecutor’s agency said connected Friday. A judge has yet to determine whether to return up nan case.

The nine allegedly paid much than €7.3m betwixt 2001 and 2018 to firms owned by José María Enríquez Negreira, who was vice-president of nan refereeing committee of nan Spanish shot relation from 1993-2018.

Prosecutors declare that nether a concealed statement and “in speech for money”, Negreira favoured Barcelona “in nan decisions taken by referees successful nan games played by nan club, arsenic good arsenic successful nan results of nan competitions”.

Barcelona did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. The nine denied wrongdoing successful a connection past month, saying they had simply paid an outer advisor that supplied them pinch “technical reports related to master refereeing”, calling it “a communal believe among master shot clubs”.

The title focuses connected nan €2.9m paid betwixt 2014 and 2018 and alleges that Barcelona – pinch nan thief of their erstwhile presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu – reached a “confidential verbal agreement” pinch Negreira.

It accuses nan club, Rosell, Bartomeu, Negreira and 2 different erstwhile Barcelona officials of corruption successful sports, unfair management and falsehood successful mercantile documents.

The investigation was triggered by a taxation inspection. Negreira told nan Spanish taxation agency that Barcelona’s extremity pinch nan payments was to person “neutral” referees successful their games, according to El País newspaper.