Spanish police stormed referees committee offices in Madrid earlier today, September 28, as part of an investigation into FC Barcelona‘s alleged illicit payments to a former member of the committee.
Barcelona are charged with corruption regarding payments made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of the committee, in exchange for favorable refereeing decisions.
Even though FC Barcelona have denied any wrongdoing, prosecutors in Spain and European football governing body, UEFA, are seriously looking into the allegations.
No arrest was made when the police stormed the Spanish Technical Committee of Referees, the CTA headquarters in Madrid today over the scandal.
The BBC claimed that the raid was initiated because the documents the judge presiding over the case requested from the CTA were not sent to the court.
The initial criminal investigation started in March 2023 by the public prosecutor’s office in Barcelona. The governing body of European football, Uefa, shortly after launched its investigation.
According to reports, Barcelona gave Negreira and his company Dasnil 95, a total of €8.4 million.
The payments were first investigated as part of a tax inquiry into the Negreira-run company.
Negreira collected over 7 million euros between 2001 and 2018, the year he resigned from his post on the referees’ committee, according to reports. Barcelona reportedly paid the company 1.4 million euros between 2016 and 2018.
Barcelona disclosed that it had hired Dasnil 95, whom it described as “an external technical consultant,” to provide video reports on referees to “complement the information required by the coaching staff.”
It was stated that paying for reports was “a customary practice among professional clubs.”
On February, 18 of the other 19 La Liga teams issued a statement expressing “deep concern”.
Uefa granted Barcelona a temporary permit in July so that it may take part in the Champions League this year while their investigation is ongoing.
