Spanish prosecutors charge Barcelona over Negreira scandal

Earlier this year, the Negreira scandal emerged, with allegations that

paid former referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez for information on how to receive favorable calls from match officials. Gonzalez and his company reportedly received around €7 million from the club between 2001 and 2018 for reports and videos related to referees.

On Friday, Spanish prosecutors announced that Barcelona, as well as former club presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, have been charged in connection with the scandal. The prosecutors also alleged that Barcelona's payments were made in the hope of receiving favorable refereeing decisions.

A statement read:

"Through presidents Rosell and Bartomeu, Barcelona reached and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with the defendant Negreira, so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the refereeing committee and in exchange for money, he would carry out actions aimed at favouring Barcelona in the decision making of the referees in the matches played by the club, and thus in the results of the competitions."

Earlier this week, current Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who also held the position between 2004 and 2010, denied the accusations against the club.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has confirmed that Barcelona will not face sporting sanctions as the charges are beyond the three-year threshold within which a punishment can be upheld. However, Tebas has left open the possibility of revisiting the case once the legal proceedings have concluded.

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