Barcelona will testify in January in a corruption case over payments to ex-refereeing official José María Enríquez Negreira, with several former presidents and coaches also called as witnesses.
Barcelona will appear in court over alleged sporting corruption linked to payments made to former Spanish Referees Committee vice-president, José María Enríquez Negreira.
The Catalan club is accused of paying two companies owned by Negreira a total of €7–8 million over 17 years for what was described as “consultancy reports.” However, investigators have reportedly been unable to verify the purpose of these payments or determine where all the money went. Charges of fraud are also being pursued, with the case now proceeding to trial.
According to Diario AS, Barcelona will testify in court on January 27, with former club president Joan Gaspart appearing as a witness. Institutional vice-president Elena Fort will represent the club in court, while the judge has ordered that all contractual documents related to Negreira’s work be submitted to the police.
Current president Joan Laporta, along with former coaches Ernesto Valverde and Luis Enrique, will testify on December 12. Ex-presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, who were questioned earlier, insisted that no wrongdoing occurred during their tenures. Bartomeu also stated that he met Negreira only once, and “by chance.”
The corruption trial, which has drawn significant attention in Spain, could have lasting consequences for the club’s reputation and finances.