Former presidents of Barcelona, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, asserted on Thursday that the payments made by the club to a former refereeing chief during their leadership were not corrupt, during their court appearance on Thursday.
The club, along with several former officials, is under investigation in connection with the “Negreira case,” following payments exceeding 7.3 million euros ($8.6 million) to a company owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira from 2001 to 2018, as detailed in a complaint lodged in 2023 that sent shockwaves through Spanish football.
Prosecutors suspect that Barcelona compensated Negreira, who served as the vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee (CTA) from 1994 to 2018, to sway refereeing decisions, while the club asserts that the payments were intended for refereeing reports and advice.
“Today, it was made evident that many of the theories proposed in recent years have been disproven,” Bartomeu, who was president from 2014 to 2020, stated to reporters outside a Barcelona court.
“It was made clear that advisory services, referee reports, and guidance on pre-and post-match matters were provided, and that there was a financial exchange for that advisory work.”
Rosell, who served as his predecessor from 2010 to 2014, departed without issuing a public statement.
During his court appearance, where he only responded to inquiries from his attorney, the former Barca president asserted that the payments were for sports advisory services and were never meant to bribe referees or manipulate the competition.
As reported by Spanish media, both individuals also claimed that these payments were a legacy from prior administrations.
In addition to Rosell and Bartomeu, other persons under investigation, including the son of Enriquez Negreira, were also called to testify on Thursday.
The inquiry commenced in March 2023 after Spain’s tax authorities detected irregularities in tax payments made between 2016 and 2018 by the company Dasnil 95, which is owned by Negreira.
