Barcelona President Comes Into The Open To Address Bribe Allegations

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has denied allegations that the club paid referees to influence the outcome of games. Laporta’s comments come in response to revelations of payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of the refereeing committee.

According to reports, Barcelona paid Negreira’s company around €7 million between 2001 and 2018. The payments made between 2016 and 2018, totalling €1.4 million, are currently under investigation by the tax office into Negreira’s earnings.

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Initially, Laporta had claimed that the payments were made for “technical reports on refereeing.” However, he has since reiterated that the club did not pay for anything else.

“We will give a news conference on it soon. But Barca never bought referees or influence. That was never the intention and that has to be clear. The facts contradict those that are trying to tell a different story,” Laporta said on Tuesday.

The allegations of payments to Negreira’s company have raised questions about the integrity of refereeing in LaLiga. However, Laporta maintains that Barcelona has always played fair and has never attempted to influence the outcome of games.

The revelations come at a time when Barcelona is facing financial difficulties, with the club reportedly owing over €1 billion in debt. The payments to Negreira’s company have added to the club’s financial woes and have raised concerns about the management of its finances.

As the investigation into Negreira’s earnings continues, Barcelona will need to provide further clarification about the purpose of the payments and address any concerns about the integrity of the club’s operations.