A Barcelona courtroom has agreed to tackle the case regarding purported funds made by FC Barcelona to an organization owned by a senior refereeing official with the goal of manipulating match outcomes.
The regional courtroom stated on Wednesday it will examine Barcelona and two of the La Liga membership’s former presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, over the crimes of corruption in sports activities, unfair administration and falsehood in paperwork.
After prosecutors filed the grievance on Friday over alleged funds of greater than 7.3 million euros ($7.75 million) from 2001 to 2018 to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, State Legal professional Normal Alvaro Garcia Ortiz ordered on Tuesday that the case be transferred to anti-corruption prosecutor’s workplace as a result of high-profile nature of the allegations that would represent important corruption offenses.
The Spanish authorities and Actual Madrid soccer membership stated they might be part of the grievance as quickly because the decide took it on.
Negreira was vp of the refereeing committee of the Spanish Soccer Affiliation from 1993 to 2018 underneath then-president Victoriano Sanchez Arminio.
Prosecutors allege that underneath a secret settlement and “in change for cash,” Negreira favored Barcelona “within the choices taken by referees within the video games performed by the membership, in addition to within the outcomes of the competitions.”
Sadly, Negreira couldn’t be reached for remark.
A senior Barcelona official stated on Friday the membership had anticipated the prosecutors’ grievance and described it as “nothing greater than a fully preliminary investigative speculation.”
The official stated the membership would totally cooperate with the investigation and it reiterated that “they’ve by no means purchased any referee nor have tried to affect any official’s choices.”
In an announcement final month the soccer membership denied wrongdoing, saying it had paid an exterior marketing consultant who equipped it with “technical studies associated to skilled refereeing.” It was a typical observe amongst skilled soccer golf equipment, it stated.
“I’m trying ahead to confronting all of the scoundrels who’re tarnishing our defend,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta instructed an occasion held by the membership with the captains of the completely different Barcelona groups on Monday.
The prosecutors’ grievance focuses on 2.9 million euros paid from 2014 to 2018 and alleges that Barcelona, with the assistance of former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, reached a “confidential verbal settlement” with Negreira.