© AFP
Rumors have been confirmed - "Barcelona" paid money to the vice president of the referee committee and former referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira from 2001 to 2018.
In 2018, when Negreira resigned from his position as vice president, the payments stopped.
Court
Now everything moves to court. The main Catalan rivals of Madrid's "Real" officially announced that they would testify in this case.
Meanwhile, "Barca" will enlist the help of their former coaches - Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde. Former employees of this club will also testify in court.
According to Catalonia club employees, this process will be very long.
Real Madrid have released a statement on the Negreira-Barcelona scandal as Florentino Perez has called an urgent meeting with the Board of Directors to decide Real Madrid’s approach 🚨⤵️ pic.twitter.com/V1XkUNpL35
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 11, 2023
"Barcelona's" Position
"Barcelona" is behaving confidently in this situation and denies any accusations.
Joan Laporta said at a press conference: "I really want to look into the eyes of those jerks who are trying to stain our club. Some people are motivated by envy, trying to tarnish our reputation. We never feel tainted; we will defend our club by all means."
The president of the Catalan club wrote on social media: "Catalans, stay calm. "Barcelona" is innocent of what it's accused of. Many will have to apologize."
Currently, the club's lawyers are carefully examining these accusations, and soon everything will move to the courtroom.
🎥 @JoanLaportaFCB getting emotional today while talking about the Negreira case. @tv3cat #FCB 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/JJywLWpcx7
— Reshad Rahman (@ReshadRahman_) March 13, 2023
Risk to the Super League
When "Real" and "Barcelona" move to the courtroom, it may affect the establishment of the Super League. Spain's flagships have had relatively good relations until now for one common goal, to improve their financial situation by creating a new football league.
"Sport" newspaper director Lluis Mascaro stated: "Barca" and "Real" have many shared interests, including the Super League, and it seemed like there was a mutual agreement. However, pressure from sponsors and the media is changing Perez's strategy. This unexpected maneuver by "Real" could lead to unexpected events. If the Madrid club wants war, they'll get it."
"La Liga's" Position
Javier Tebas is a controversial figure. The 60-year-old Spaniard will soon celebrate 10 years as the president of "La Liga."
He also commented on this scandalous situation at "Barcelona."
"I am ashamed, I don't remember the last time such an institutional crisis occurred. I'm not sure if Laporta's position is right," said Tebas.
"Not only 'Barcelona' but also the reputation of the championships are at risk. A few days have passed, but 'Barcelona' has not justified itself yet. Pretending to be a victim is not the best way out for 'Barcos'; they must explain themselves," the Spanish lawyer sternly spoke.
Officially, "Barcelona's" club guilt has not been proven yet, so it's hard to say what punishment awaits this club. At best, a financial penalty. At worst, they might face relegation from the league. In this case, it's unclear if FIFA or UEFA would get involved in the sanctions.
The process will be long, but the accusations against Joan Laporta's controlled club seem real and well-founded.
