According to the president of the league association, Spanish football is currently experiencing one of its darkest hours because of the corruption allegations against FC Barcelona. The situation is one of the most difficult “that I can remember,” said Javier Tebas on Monday: “There are these payments to referees, that’s abnormal.”
A week ago, the Spanish judiciary accused FC Barcelona, former club officials and ex-referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira of alleged “corruption”, “infidelity” and “falsified documents”. The background is millions of payments between 1994 and 2018 to a company owned by Negreira, who was Vice President of the Referee Committee at the time.
“It is understandable that tensions arise. The reputation of our football is at stake. I am ashamed. We have no explanation from Barcelona,” said Tebas. Barca president Joan Laporta said Monday he will defend his club against ‘attacks’.
Barca and Negreira have admitted the business ties but deny allegations of corruption. According to Negreira, his company verbally advised the club on how players should behave towards certain referees. Barca described such advisory services as ‘normal’.