Barcelona investigated over payment to head of refereeing – 02/16/2023 – Sport

Spanish prosecutors are investigating payments of around 1.4 million euros (R$ 7.8 million, at current prices) that Barcelona would have made over three years to a company owned by a senior official of Spain’s arbitration body.

Spanish radio Cadena SER reported this Wednesday (15) that the club made payments between 2016 and 2018 to a company owned by José Maria Enríquez Negreira, then vice-president of an arbitration committee at the Spanish federation.

Barcelona said in a statement that they were aware of the investigation. The club claims that it “contracted the services of an external consultant”, who provided it with “technical reports related to professional arbitration”, classifying it as “a common practice among professional football clubs”.

The Spanish giant also said that the consultant also provided, in video format, reports on young players from other clubs in the country.

However, former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told sports daily Mundo Deportivo that the payments went back before 2003 and totaled 575,000 euros (R$3.2 million, at current exchange rates) per year until they were stopped in 2018, as part of cost-cutting measures.

Asked about the former top hat’s statements, Barcelona did not make further comments.

The Technical Commission of Arbitrators states in a statement that Enriquez Negreira has not exercised official functions since 2018 and that “no active arbitrator or member of the CTA bodies can carry out any work that incurs a conflict of interest”.

According to Spanish media reports, prosecutors started the investigation in 2022 after an inspection by the tax office of a company owned by Enriquez Negreira found no records or services provided to Barcelona in exchange for 1.4 million euros in payments.

Cadena SER quoted Enriquez Negreira as saying his advice was verbal and included player interactions with referees and that he denied favoring Barcelona in any refereeing decisions or disputes.

Punishment and prescription

According to the daily Marca, the payment made by Barcelona could be classified as a serious infringement. The foreseen punishment, in this case, would even involve the relegation of the club in the Spanish Championship.

The newspaper itself points out, however, that, according to the new Sports Law, approved in December 2022, very serious infractions prescribe in three years. As, allegedly, the payments would have stopped in 2018, there would be no punishment.