FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has firmly told club members that they need not fear the corruption case for which he and the club are under attack.
After the revelation of payments amounting to 7.3 million euros to the former vice-president of the referees committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, made between 2001 and 2018, FC Barcelona is now the subject of an investigation into sports corruption and bribery. This week, Laporta himself was added to the case as an individual.
On Thursday, he said there was a “sociological madridism” working against the club that was responsible for the affair, and during the club’s general assembly, Laporta made it clear.
“The history of Barça must not be tarnished. We cannot allow it and we will not allow it. I’m referring to the most ferocious attack in the club’s history. This is an unprecedented campaign of discredit and we must not allow it, all of us. We are in constant struggle. »
“No matter how much they search, speculate and defame, they will find nothing. They say this, that, they claim we did this – but they don’t prove it. They haven’t proven anything. »
“We did nothing of what we are accused of. We explained it clearly. As part of the legal process, we present our case with evidence. The facts must be proven. This arbitration board has been used for 18 years. The Negreira affair was used to harm Barça. Who is it ? People who don’t want Barça to be more than a club.”
