LaLiga: Barcelona Faces Bribery Probe Over Payments to Referee-Linked Companies

Barcelona finds itself embroiled in a probe involving alleged bribery, with payments totaling over €7

million allegedly made to companies connected to the former vice president of the refereeing committee,

José María Enríquez Negreira. This development has been confirmed by judicial sources, as reported by

the Spanish news agency EFE.

Notably, former Barcelona presidents, Josep María Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, are among those

accused of similar charges in this investigation. The charges also extend to José María Enríquez Negreira

and his son, Javier Enríquez Romero.

Previously, Barcelona had been facing allegations of corruption in sports, corruption in business, false

administration, and the falsification of commercial documents.

In connection with the ongoing probe, police carried out a search at the referees’ office at the Royal

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in Madrid. This search aimed to retrieve pertinent documentation

related to the case.

The initiation of bribery charges comes following a complaint filed by prosecutors in March against

Barcelona, its former presidents, and José María Enríquez Negreira. These new allegations could

potentially accelerate a process that has been unfolding since February when the payments first came to

light.