Spanish prosecutors have formally filed corruption costs in opposition to Barcelona and their two former presidents. The membership, below the management of Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, allegedly made funds to former LaLiga referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira over a 17-year interval.
Together with being a former Spanish league referee, Negreira was additionally the vp of Spanish soccer’s refereeing committee from 1994-2018. He owned a non-public firm known as DASNIL 95 throughout this timeframe as effectively.
Allegedly paid former ref thousands and thousands
Prosecutors declare that Rosell and Bartomeu made funds totaling round $7.8 million to DASNIL 95 between 2001 to 2018. Former membership executives Oscar Grau and Albert Soler additionally characteristic on the listing of defendants within the case. Rosell was the membership’s president from 2010-2014, whereas Bartomeu was on the helm between 2014-2020.
All of those defendants, together with Negreira, face costs of corruption in enterprise, corruption in sport, false administration and the falsification of economic paperwork. The prosecutors workplace launched an announcement on the ordeal on Friday.
“By way of presidents Rosell and Bartomeu, Barcelona reached and maintained a strictly confidential verbal settlement with the defendant Negreira, in order that, in his capability as vp of the refereeing committee and in change for cash, he would perform actions geared toward favoring Barcelona within the determination making of the referees within the matches performed by the membership, and thus within the outcomes of the competitions,” read the assertion.
Bartomeu, Negreira and the Catalan membership have all beforehand admitted {that a} relationship existed between the events. Nevertheless, the trio all performed down the way of the connections. Barca even claimed that the funds to Negreira had been “widespread observe” amongst skilled golf equipment. In addition they said that the previous ref merely provided varied video reviews.
LaLiga President requires Laporta to exit Barcelona amid corruption
LaLiga boss Javier Tebas lately known as for present Barca president Joan Laporta to step down amidst the allegations. Laporta has, nonetheless, refused these assertions and even claimed that Tebas is obsessed along with his membership.
“His obsession with Barca continues. I wish to remind you that he’s somebody that has proven all through his profession that he’s anti-Barcelona,” Laporta stated in February.
Earlier this week, Laporta reiterated his stance that Barca have carried out nothing incorrect. “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.
However, Laporta could possibly be set to testify on the trial as a result of he was additionally with the membership between 2003-2010. Beforehand, LaLiga stated statute of limitations tied the league’s arms on the problem. Barca might, nonetheless, nonetheless be in a heap of authorized bother.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Eibner
