Problems continue to mount for Barcelona in relation to payments they made to a former refereeing chief over a prolonged period.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking corruption charges against Barcelona and the Catalan club's former president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, for payments made to former referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN report.
Negreira was initially the sole focus of the investigation that's looking into €1.4 million worth of payments that Barcelona made to his company, Dasnil 95 SL, from 2016-2018. Now it appears the case could possibly include legal action against both Barcelona and Bartomeu if charges are bought forward, according to Marsden and Llorens.
Barcelona reportedly paid €6.5 million between 2001 and 2018 to Negreira's company for what the club says was for advice on refereeing matters. The timeline includes past chiefs Joan Gaspart and Sandro Rosell, as well as current president Joan Laporta, who was also in charge from 2003-2010.
They will be summoned as witnesses but cannot face charges because of the statute of limitations for the alleged crimes, Marsden and Llorens add. Bartomeu's spell as president from 2014-2020, however, falls within a time period for which he can be charged. Bartomeu made the decision in 2018 to cut off payments to Negreira's company.
Laporta defiantly said Tuesday that Barcelona have "never bought" referees.
