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Barcelona ex-president Josep Bartomeu
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Manu Fernandez/ AP
FC Barcelona is suspected of influencing referees.
Between 2016 and 2018, the Spanish football club is said to have transferred almost 1.4 million euros for consulting services to a company owned by the then Vice President of the CTA Referees Committee, José María Enríquez Negreira.
Because of the suspicion of "corruption between private individuals", the public prosecutor's office initiated investigations against both sides a few months ago, several Spanish media reported, citing the authorities.
The public prosecutor's office confirmed this information when asked by dpa.
Club and Enríquez Negreira deny the allegations
According to media reports, both the Primera División leaders' representatives and Enríquez Negreira admitted the payments at their respective hearings, but denied the allegations of corruption.
Enríquez Negreira was a referee in the first division of Spain between 1977 and 1992 and then vice-president of the CTA between 1994 and 2018.
In an interview with the radio station "Cadena Ser", the 77-year-old said that as CTA Vice President he had never given FC Barcelona preferential treatment in any decision or referee appointment.
His company Dasniel 95 SL verbally advised the club on how the players should behave depending on the referee.
"Normal" advice for which there is no evidence
Barça's current club president Joan Laporta defended his predecessor, Josep Bartomeu, who was responsible for payments, although he is otherwise often critical of Bartomeu.
Laporta suspects ulterior motives: "It is no coincidence that this information is being published right now, when Barça is doing well." The club had used consulting services.
"But that's very normal in football at the big clubs," he said.
However, Enríquez Negreira confirmed that he only provided this service for FC Barcelona.
According to the media reports, the public prosecutor's office also has no evidence that this advisory activity took place at all.
And: When Enríquez Negreira left the Referee Committee in 2018, the club stopped making payments.
mfu/dpa