two ex-managers of FC Barcelona and the former head of Spanish referees charged with corruption
By Le Figaro with AFP Published 1 hour ago , Update just now FC Barcelona…
two ex-managers of FC Barcelona and the former head of Spanish referees charged with corruption
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published
1 hour ago
,
Update just now
FC Barcelona is in turmoil. Action Plus / Panoramic
Spanish justice has indicted two former presidents of FC Barcelona as well as the former head of referees for corruption.
Spanish justice on Friday indicted FC Barcelona and some of its former leaders for “corruption”“breach of trust” And “forgery in business recordsIn the case of suspicious payments of money from the Catalan club to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, former senior official of Spanish arbitration, also prosecuted.
These proceedings, decided by the Barcelona public prosecutor’s office, target Barça as a legal person, as well as Josep Maria Bartomeuat the head of FC Barcelona between 2014 and 2020, and Sandro Rosell, president of the Catalan club between 2010 and 2014. Oscar Grau and Albert Soler, members of Mr. Bartomeu’s former team, are also being prosecuted.
Seized by the tax authorities on possible irregularities in the payment of taxes by a company belonging to Enriquez Negreira, the prosecution had opened a preliminary investigation in the spring of 2022 in order to verify the reason and the framework for these payments of money.
“FC Barcelona has obtained and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with José Maria Enriquez Negreira so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the Technical Arbitral Committee (CTA) and in exchange for money, the latter carries out actions tending to benefit FC Barcelona in referee decision-makings”, explained the prosecution. According to the latter, theCatalan club paid him a total of more than 7.3 million euros between 1994 and 2018.
“Barca never bought referees and never intended to buy any, let’s be clear“, assured Tuesday the current president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, during a press conference. A message consistent with that of Mr. Negreira, who denies any favors done to Barça.
On the sporting level, FC Barcelona does not risk anything, at least in Spain: the facts, more than five years old, are indeed considered prescribed, according to the president of LaLiga Javier Tebas. We do not yet know at this stage the position of UEFA and FIFA.
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