BARCA PRESIDENT LAPORTA BREAKS DOWN AS EX-DIRECTORS OPEN UP AMID CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS
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Barcelona President, Joan Laporta was almost in tears during a press conference today while defending the club amid corruption allegations spanning almost two decades. Meanwhile the club directors have opened up on deal with a top refereeing boss.
The club was charged with corruption over payments made from 2001 to 2018 to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the then vice-president of the Spanish referees’ committee, last Friday.
The accusation stated that Negreira ‘in exchange for money’ carried out actions that would ‘lead to Barcelona being favoured in the decision making of the referees’.
The club directors have now opened up as reported by Spanish newspaper El Mundo, that a top refereeing boss in Spain was paid £6m by the club for almost two decades only as an act of ‘self defence’.
The former directors of the club revealed that Barcelona was protecting itself against a perceived bias against it.
The version of events matches the one given by Negreira when he was originally investigated by Spain’s Inland Revenue. He said that Barcelona hired him to guarantee ‘neutral’ refereeing.
The Spanish news outlet says it has also been told confidentially by the former Barcelona directors that ties were not cut with Negreira because he threatened to take revenge on the club by revealing the relationship.
However, Laporta, who appeared to be on the verge of tears as he spoke to the press, defended the club and warned “the scoundrel staining our badge” that the club will be exonerated. Laporta acknowledged that the situation had him feeling emotional.
“Don’t think that I am getting emotional out of weakness, I am emotional because I really want to face all the scoundrels that are staining our shield,” he said, via Barcelona TV.
“Let no one think that it is due to weakness.”
Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde, two former managers of Barcelona, have been invited for interviews to investigate whether they were aware of the misconduct.
If found guilty, the club might face harsh penalties.
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