Spanish justice has launched searches in the case of alleged corruption of referees affecting FC Barcelona.
Joaquín Aguirre accuses FC Barcelona of corruption, the media said on Thursday The Debate. For this judge, and the indictment order made at the beginning of September, the 7.5 million euros paid by the Catalan club to José María Enríquez Negreira, former vice-president of the Technical Commission of Referees (CTA), constitute an offense.
Between 2001 and 2018, Barça paid Negreira for “ technical advice » on arbitration, the Spanish club has been defending for months. Through the voice of its former presidents, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, or the current Joan Laporta (photo), the 2023 Spanish champion continues to deny any criminal acts.
A disturbing letter
The Debate then highlights a fact recalled by Judge Aguirre. When he was dismissed from his post in 2018, José María Enríquez Negreira sent a letter to President Bartomeu in the form of a threat.
If the Barcelona leaders did not continue to pay him, Negreira would reveal a series of facts that could seriously harm. ” Enríquez Negreira was aware that quite serious illegal acts had been committed in favor of Barça“, concludes Judge Aguirre.
This Thursday, we also learned of a search carried out in the premises of the Spanish football arbitration department as part of the Negreira affair.
