Ex-Barcelona presidents deny allegations of corruption in a refereeing scandal during their court hearing
Barcelona Under Investigation in "Negreira Case"
The Barcelona football club is currently under investigation in the "Negreira case," following allegations of payments made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's refereeing committee (CTA) between 1994 and 2018.
According to reports, Barcelona paid Negreira's company more than 7.3 million euros ($8.6 million) between 2001 and 2018. The investigation began in March 2023 after irregularities were identified in tax payments made by the company Dasnil 95 between 2016 and 2018.
Prosecutors suspect that Barcelona paid Negreira to influence refereeing decisions. This suspicion arises from the timeline of payments, which coincides with critical matches for the club. However, Barcelona maintains that the payments were for refereeing reports and advice.
Two former presidents of Barcelona, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, have been implicated in the case. Rosell, who was president between 2010 and 2014, left without making a public statement, while Bartomeu, who served as president between 2014 and 2020, stated that advisory services, referee reports, and guidance regarding pre-and post-match matters were provided.
Bartomeu also admitted to a financial trade-off for the advisory work. During his court appearance, he stated that the payments were for sporting advisory services and not intended to pay off referees or manipulate the competition.
In addition to Rosell and Bartomeu, Jaume Masferrer, Oscar Grau, and Román Gómez Ponti are also involved in the investigation. Enriquez Negreira's son was also summoned to testify on Thursday.
The complaint was filed in 2023, and it has sparked a significant controversy in Spanish football. Both Bartomeu and Rosell claimed that the payments were inherited from previous administrations. However, the investigation is ongoing, and the truth is yet to be revealed.
This is a developing story, and more details will be released as the investigation progresses. Barcelona, one of the most successful clubs in the world, is facing a challenging period, and the outcome of this case could have significant implications for the future of the club.
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