The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, mentioned on Monday that each one funds made by the soccer membership to an organization owned by a senior refereeing official have been for advisory issues and to not acquire any unlawful sporting benefit. Laporta mentioned an inner investigation carried out by the membership didn’t present any wrongdoing and he mentioned the case was an orchestrated marketing campaign to discredit Barcelona.
He accused the president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, of “attempting to break Barcelona’s repute”. He additionally attacked their rivals Actual Madrid, who’ve joined the prosecutor’s case in opposition to Barcelona, saying Actual had all the time been historicaly favoured by refereeing.
Spanish prosecutors final month filed a grievance in opposition to Barcelona over funds of seven.3 million euros (7.95 million {dollars}) from 2001 to 2018 to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Negreira was vice-president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish Soccer Affiliation from 1993 to 2018. A Barcelona courtroom has agreed to take the case. UEFA has additionally opened a proper investigation for a possible violation of the European soccer governing physique’s authorized framework over the Negreira case.
Laporta advised a information convention that Barcelona, in its dealings with Negreira, had sought technical recommendation from “somebody who has had a profession in soccer”.
“The recommendation doesn’t represent any sort of misconduct or prison offence,” he mentioned. Standing in entrance of a field during which he mentioned that have been 629 technical stories, 43 CDs and 4 aditional stories, Laporta mentioned the skilled recommendation was made with transparency and that invoices registered in Barcelona’s accounting system had handed fiscal evaluations.
“The Spanish Tax Division despatched a letter to the Prosecutor’s Workplace saying it couldn’t show that the funds to firms associated to Mr. Negreira influenced the results of any match,” he mentioned.
Laporta additionally urged UEFA to be truthful to Barcelona in its investigation. La Liga advised Reuters on Monday it will not problem any feedback relating to Laporta’s accusations.
“The Nergreira case must be totally investigated by the right authorities,” it mentioned.
Tebas mentioned on March he had reported the case to UEFA as a result of no punishment might be handed down below Spanish sports activities regulation since three years had handed because the alleged infringements. Reuters has requested Actual Madrid for touch upon Laporta’s remarks.