The Barcelona referee scandal – What does it mean for FC Barcelona?

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Eyes are on FC Barcelona again as the club has been accused of paying former referee chief José María Enríquez Negreira through a company owned by him, in order to get decisions ruled in their favour.

On March 10, the Barcelona Provincial Prosecutor’s Office formally brought charges against FC Barcelona of “continued corruption between individuals in the sports field”, false administration, and documentary falsification at the top magistrate’s court in Barcelona.

The prosecutors also mentioned in their documents that FC Barcelona reached “a confidential verbal agreement with Enriquez Negreira” so that in exchange for money, Negreira would “carry out actions tending to favour Barcelona in the decision-making of referees in the matches”.

The issue came under attention after tax authorities found irregularities in tax payments made by DASNIL 95 SL, a company owned by Negreira. It was then found that Barcelona had made payments to Negreira through DASNIL but Negreira provided no document showing that a commercial relationship existed between him and the club.

Negreira reported to Spain’s radio network Cadena Ser that no documentation existed as the business was conducted verbally. On the other hand, former Barcelona President Bartomeu claimed that payments were made to DASNIL in exchange for “technical reports” only.

The prosecutors mentioned in their reports that FC Barcelona paid EUR 6.7 million to the Vice President of the Referee Committee from 2001 to 2018. Coincidentally, FC Barcelona stopped making payments around the same time Negreira left his position as Vice President.

Catalan referee Estrada Fernández also filed a separate criminal complaint against Negreira and his son stating that Negreira provided arbitration advisory services, with the objective of guaranteeing an arbitration favourable to Barcelona’s interests.