FC Barcelona have been officially charged with “active bribery” in the Negreira case. ⚖️

FC Barcelona, one of the most successful and popular football clubs in the world, is facing serious allegations of bribery and corruption in relation to its dealings with a former referee official. The club has been officially charged with “active bribery” by a Spanish court, which could result in severe sanctions and penalties for the Catalan giants.

The case revolves around the payments that Barcelona made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). According to the court document, Barcelona paid Negreira or his company Dasnil 95 a total of 8.4 million euros (£7.4 million) between 2001 and 2018 for “technical advice” on refereeing matters¹².

However, the public prosecutor’s office claims that these payments were actually bribes to influence the decisions of referees in favour of Barcelona. The document states that Negreira, who had the status of a public official, carried out actions to benefit Barcelona in exchange for money, such as providing written reports and DVDs with detailed analysis on referees and their behavioural patterns.

The investigation into this scandal began last month, when Spanish police raided the RFEF offices as part of the probe ordered by judge Joaquin Aguirre, who is working on the Negreira case. The police seized documents and electronic devices related to the case.

The court has indicted Barcelona, as well as former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, for “corruption”, “breach of trust” and “false business records”. The club and the former officials could face criminal charges and hefty fines if found guilty

The case has also attracted the attention of UEFA, the governing body of European football, which is conducting its own investigation into Barcelona’s alleged bribery. UEFA has the power to impose disciplinary measures on Barcelona, such as suspending them from participating in European competitions like the Champions League.

Barcelona has denied any wrongdoing and has launched an internal investigation into the payments. The current president Joan Laporta, who was elected in March 2021, has distanced himself from the previous administrations and has insisted that Barcelona has “never bought referees” or had any intention of doing so.

Barcelona’s coach Xavi, a former player who won eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with the club, has also expressed his ignorance and disbelief about the allegations. He said he always wanted to win fairly and never had any feeling that his team had any advantage.

The Negreira case is a major blow to Barcelona’s reputation and credibility, as well as a potential threat to their sporting future. The club is already facing financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the fallout from the failed European Super League project. The bribery scandal could further damage their image and their chances of competing at the highest level.