March 15, (THEWILL) – Barcelona faces potential trouble as Spanish courts have approved an investigation into allegations of “continuous sporting corruption” against the club.
As THEWILL reported, the charges were filed by prosecutors last week after accusations that Barcelona made payments to a former Vice President of the refereeing committee in exchange for information about match officials and their potential appointments.
According to reports monitored by THEWILL, former La Liga referee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, is said to have received approximately €7m from Barça between 2001 and 2018 in exchange for detailed reports and video analysis. The charges accuse former Presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, of having an arrangement with Negreira aimed at favouring Barcelona in the decision-making of referees during matches.
While Barcelona’s current President has denied any wrongdoing, reports suggest there could be a lack of key evidence in the accusations. The club could also face potential sporting sanctions, including being barred from entering next season’s UEFA Champions League, although La Liga President, Javier Tebas, has said that any such sanctions on home soil would be unlikely due to the time frame in which clubs can be held accountable for irregularities.
About the Author
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.
