Spanish court charges FC Barcelona with ‘bribery and corruption’ over Negreira scandal

Spanish court find FC Barcelona guilty of paying referees to influence matches and results.

Spanish court charges FC Barcelona with ‘bribery and corruption’ over Negreira scandal

Barcelona Logo. (Via FC Barcelona)

FC Barcelona are under formal investigation and will face severe problems if the case against them moves further. They have been charged with Bribery to referees and possible corruption in a long-running probe with the Spanish committee.

The investigation revolves around alleged payments exceeding €7.3 million ($7.8 million) over the last 17 years. It has focused on the companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, vice-president of the football federation’s referee committee from 1993 to 2018.

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Judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez has suggested that Barcelona have benefitted from “possible systemic corruption.” However, no evidence has confirmed that Negreira influenced the matches by paying the referees.

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The Catalan club has constantly denied the rumors, claiming it has not been involved in any wrongdoing. They have stated that they paid for an external consultant for “technical reports related to professional refereeing,” which is supposed to be a common practice by clubs. However, if found completely guilty of corruption, Barcelona could lose participation in the Champions League and face broader consequences.

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Xavi slams Barcelona players

FC Barcelona’s coach, Xavi Hernandez, expressed his disappointment following a 2-2 draw against RCD Mallorca. Xavi criticized his team for what he described as ‘childish errors’ that allowed Mallorca to take the lead.

Xavi in a press conference.
Xavi in a press conference (Credit: FutballNews)

While Barcelona managed to level the score twice, Xavi lamented the missed opportunities and highlighted the need for defensive improvement. Xavi acknowledged the team’s offensive prowess but emphasized tightening their defense.

Despite the draw, he remains confident in Barcelona’s ability to create scoring chances. Still, he stressed that they need to address their defensive vulnerabilities to perform consistently at a high level in La Liga.

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