Spanish soccer was rocked final month when it grew to become public that Barcelona may need paid thousands and thousands of euros to learn from refereeing choices for a number of years.
Barcelona was paying an organization that belonged to the vice chairman of the nation’s refereeing committee.
The membership has denied wrongdoing however is being broadly criticized throughout Spain, and prosecutors on Friday formally accused the membership of corruption.
Right here’s a have a look at the most recent scandal involving Barcelona, which surfaced because the membership remains to be attempting to recuperate from one in all its worse monetary crises and the departure of Lionel Messi.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Prosecutors say Barcelona paid as a lot as 7.3 million euros ($7.7 million) from 2001-18 to the corporate of committee vice chairman José María Enríquez Negreira in quantities “not justified as a result of they weren’t foreseen within the statutes of the membership nor accredited by its common meeting (of membership members).”
The funds had been allegedly made in trade for technical studies on referees and youth gamers, although apparently in quantities above market costs.
Getting studies on referees is frequent apply and golf equipment pays different firms or have them ready internally, as Barcelona now does. However giving massive quantities of cash to the corporate of an individual concerned within the working of Spain’s referees for the studies isn’t a traditional apply.
The funds had been probed as a part of a tax investigation into the corporate of Enríquez Negreira, a former referee who was on the Spanish Soccer Federation refereeing committee from 1994-2018, when the funds stopped. The committee is in cost, amongst different issues, of selecting referees for every match.
There’s up to now no proof that referees or recreation outcomes had been really influenced in the course of the interval by which Barcelona made the funds.
FORMAL ACCUSATION
Prosecutors accused Barcelona of alleged corruption in sports activities, fraudulent administration, and falsification of mercantile documentation.
The accusations are towards Barcelona itself, Enríquez Negreira, former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, and former Barcelona executives Óscar Grau and Albert Soler.
Prosecutors mentioned there was sufficient proof to imagine that Rosell and Bartomeu, who ran Barcelona in consecutive phrases from 2010-20, “reached a confidential, verbal settlement” with Enríquez Negreira, who, “in trade for cash, was to hold out acts tending to favor Barcelona Soccer Membership within the decision-making means of referees within the video games performed by Barcelona, and within the outcomes of the competitions.”
Barcelona paid Enríquez Negreira’s firm throughout totally different membership presidents, together with from 2003-10 below the primary time period of present president Joan Laporta, who once more took cost in 2021. Laporta, nonetheless, isn’t being accused by the prosecutors and has denied any wrongdoing. WHAT BARCELONA SAYS
The membership has denied wrongdoing or battle of curiosity. It has acknowledged the common funds to Enríquez Negreira’s firm however mentioned they had been for less than technical studies, to not attempt to affect refereeing choices.
Barcelona has but to completely clarify its relationship with Enríquez Negreira. The membership mentioned it employed an impartial agency to hold out its personal investigation and is predicted to present a extra detailed account of what occurred when that’s concluded.
President Laporta mentioned, “Barça is harmless of the accusations made towards it and is the sufferer of a marketing campaign, that now includes everybody, to hurt its honorability.”
Enríquez Negreira advised Cadena SER radio he by no means favored Barcelona whereas assigning referees to matches, and his job was to solely help the membership verbally about how gamers ought to conduct themselves earlier than every referee.
Bartomeu additionally denied wrongdoing and advised ABC newspaper Enríquez Negreira had “zero energy over referees.”
Barcelona coach Xavi mentioned the matter was not affecting his gamers. The staff was eradicated from the Europa League however remained within the semifinals of the Copa del Rey and within the lead of the Spanish league.
THE ACCUSERS
The Spanish league, the nation’s soccer federation and most golf equipment expressed their concern and intent to take motion towards Barcelona. They mentioned the matter was damaging the popularity of Spanish soccer and sports activities normally.
Spanish league president Javier Tebas mentioned Laporta ought to resign if he can’t correctly clarify the funds.
Madrid referred to as for an pressing board assembly on Sunday and expressed its “utmost concern relating to the gravity of the details” involving Barcelona. It mentioned it could aspect towards the rival within the authorized continuing to defend its “reliable rights” as an “affected occasion” within the matter.
The Spanish authorities’s prime sports activities authority additionally mentioned it deliberate to take motion. José Manuel Franco, president of Spain’s sports activities council, mentioned on Monday on channel Telecinco, the federal government will be part of the opposite accusing events within the authorized proceedings. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez weighed in on the case, saying the federal government was ready for the matter to be clarified.
The Spanish federation famous that Enríquez Negreira left the committee after the brand new administration took over in 2018.
Spain’s referees got here out to publicly distance themselves from the connection between Barcelona and Enríquez Negreira. Many former referees who had been lively on the time Enríquez Negreira was their vice chairman mentioned they by no means obtained any strain from him or different officers.
WHAT’S NEXT?
An investigating decide will resolve whether or not the accusations filed by the prosecutors ought to result in expenses.
Sporting sanctions towards Barcelona weren’t thought of initially as a result of the statute of limitations on the potential irregularities had expired, but when the membership is ultimately convicted, it may probably result in a ban from competitions.
There was no quick timetable on the following steps by the courts.