Barcelona to face Criminal charges for Nigreira bribery case

2023-09-28 20:07:05

MADRID,

Sept. 28 (Xinhua)

FC Barcelona face charges of bribery in the investigation in the 'Negreira case' regarding payments made by the club to the former vice-president of the Spanish referees' technical committee.

The judge, Joaquin Aguirre, who is leading the investigation, has also levied charges against former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, along with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his son Javier Enriquez Romero.

The online news outlet 'El Debate' reports that Aguirre considers that by paying around 7.5 million euros to Negreira between 2001 and 2018, the football club committed a crime because "anyone who, by immediate provision of the law, by election, or by appointment of competent authority, participates in the exercise of public functions (i.e. Negreira), shall be considered a public official."

Barca have defended the payments, saying they were made for scouting on possible signings and also for reports on different referees in Spain.

In his position as vice-president of the technical committee, Negreira had considerable influence in which referees officiated in games and which were promoted to referee in La Liga or European competitions.

The judge is reported to have taken into account a letter sent by Negreira to the club after he left the technical committee in 2018, threatening to "reveal a series of facts that could seriously harm the club," if they did not continue with the payments.

If found guilty, Barca could face a range of punishments, ranging from a fine, to having points deducted and even possible relegation, while they would almost certainly face a ban from European competitions.