September 29, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelotti, has urged authorities to take action amid allegations that rivals Barcelona paid off referees. On Thursday, a Barcelona court confirmed charges of “active bribery” against Barca relating to payments made to former referee chief, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, over 18 years.
The payments were allegedly made to receive preferential treatment like referee analysis reports. The court document said Barca paid an intermediary linked to Negreira, who was a vice president of the Referee Technical Committee. This constitutes bribery as he held a public position.
Ancelotti said he was “worried” by the case, which has rocked Spanish football. “Justice is working on this and we have to let them work,” he remarked. The Italian added: “When these types of issues happen, it worries us all. I hope that justice can do its job and reach a solution.”
In March, Real Madrid expressed “deep concern” and said it would join the case to defend its interests when possible. The bribery allegations against rivals Barca have raised serious questions about the integrity of Spanish football. Ancelotti and others are now appealing for authorities to take appropriate action.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
