BaARCELONA have been charged with alleged bribery over payments in excess of €7 million made to companies linked to the former vice president of the Spanish refereeing committee, José María Enríquez Negreira.
This was disclosed by Spanish news agency EFE, on Thursday.
According to judicial sources, the accused are: Barcelona presidents Josep María Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, as well as Negreira and his son, Javier Enríquez Romero.
In relation to the case, police have reportedly raided the referees’ office at the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] in Madrid on Thursday in search of relevant documents.
This comes after prosecutors filed a complaint to the Spanish court against Barcelona, the above mentioned former presidents and Negreira and his son in March.
The court accepted the and began an inquest into the matter.
Previously, Barcelona were charged with alleged corruption in business, corruption in sport, false administration and falsifying commercial documents.
Negreira’s companies are believed to have been paid more than €7m between 2001 and 2018 by Barcelona while he served as the vice president of the refereeing committee.
Barca president, Joan Laporta, had denied influencing match officials, while stating that the payments were merely for “technical reports about referees.”
The Prosecutors argued that Rosell and Bartomeu were in league with Negreira so that “he would carry out actions aimed at favouring Barca in the decision-making of the referees in the matches played by the club and thus in the results of the competitions.”
Barcelona head coach, Xavi Hernandez, has also dismissed the claims, saying he “never had the feeling that the club have benefitted from refereeing.”
