Two Barcelona presidents called to stand in Negreira corruption case

Former Barcelona Presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu have been called to testify in the Negreira case, with the pair part of an investigation into Barcelona. Both are accused of sporting corruption, as is the club.

Both have been charged with said crimes, and today the investigating magistrate has agreed to extend the period of investigation, just weeks after the case reached two years in the legal system. The charges relate to a series of payments from Barcelona to two companies owned by former vice-president of the Referees Committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018.

Barcelona have claimed that the payments were for consultancy on refereeing decisions, and also received reports from his son Javier Negreira, who was also part of those companies. Over the duration of the 17 years, Barcelona paid between €7-8m, but the investigating magistrate believes that the payments have not been sufficiently accredited, hence the charge of sporting corruption.

The Blaugrana have also been charged with bribery, but it is not expected that they will be able to prove that Negreira was a public official, as he belonged to a private company in the RFEF. In the next six months say Cadena SER, both Rosell and Bartomeu will give testimony in front of a judge, with the club also charged with corporate fraud and falsification of documents. Current President Joan Laporta was president during that period, but having started his mandate more than five years before the end of the period of payments, there is a statute of limitations preventing him from being charged.

Real Madrid have called for wholescale reform in the refereeing body as a result of the charges, as of yet unproven, and are one of many clubs who have joined the claim against Barcelona. This week they were part of a Refereeing Reform Committee alongside Sevilla and Real Betis, as changes are discussed.