Corruption scandal in FC Barcelona: Reports accuse club of paying off La Liga referees

FC Barcelonaare on their best momentof the season. They arein first place of the2022-2023 La Ligawith a comfortable advantage,won theSpanish Super Cupagainst archrivalReal Madrid and advanced to the semifinals in the traditional Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey).

Even thoughBarcelona failed to reach the Round of 16 in theChampions League after the group stage, they still have hopes to collect an international title as the favorites to win the2022-2023 Europa League. In a crucial rebuliding process under coachXavi Hernandez, the club seemto be back on track.

However, a huge scandal has emerged in La Liga compromising the credibility of FC Barcelona. Read here to find out all the details about the controversy which has shocked Spain and the entire soccer world.

FC Barcelona amid referee scandal in La Liga

All the controversy is around Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was the vicepresident of the Technical Committee of Referees in the Spanish Soccer Federation from 1994 to 2018. According to a report from Cadena Ser during a radio show in Catalonia, FC Barcelona paid 1.4 million euro between 2016 and 2018 to DASNIL 95, a company owned by Negreira.

Right now, the authorities in Catalonia are investigating the matter as part of a fiscal inspection to the company regarding the taxation of that amount of money. So far, as stated by Cadena SER, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his son have already declared to explain the origin of the payments.

During his statement facing the authorities, Enriquez Negreira denied special treatmentto FC Barcelona as a direct consequence of the payments. Enriquez said that he was hired by the club as a consultant to explain the players how to behave with the referees during the games. However, the Tax Office in Catalonia didn’t receive any document from Enriquez Negreira to support this version.

When the controversy exploded, FC Barcelona published an official statement. “After the information emitted today in the radio show Qué t’hi jugues of Cadena Ser in Catalonia, FC Barcelona, knowing the facts investigated by the authorities related to payments made to external companies wants to clarify. FC Barcelona hired in the past the services of a technical external consultant, who provided, in video format, technical reports referred to players in lower categories of Spain to the Techincal Secretary of the club.”

“Additionally, the relationship with the externalprovider was amplified with technicalreports related to professional refereeing in order to complement the information required by the coaching staff of our first team. It’s a common practice in professional clubs. FC Barcelona regret this information appears exactly in our best moment of the current season.”