In a significant development, La Liga President Javier Tebas has confirmed that FC Barcelona will not be sanctioned by the league over the alleged payments to former Vice President of the Referees’ Committee, Enrique Negreira. Earlier, reports claimed that Barca had made payments worth around €1.4 million to Negreira during the rule of former Barca President Josep Bartomeu.
However, the club was quick to rubbish the allegations stating that the payments were made for advisory services and technical reports on players from the lower leagues and professional refereeing. According to SER Catalunya radio program Que t’hi jugues on Wednesday afternoon, Negreira, who was once a La Liga referee, received $571,000) in 2016, $580,000 in 2017, and then finally $341,000 in 2018 through DASNIL 95.
In a fresh development, La Liga president Teba has confirmed that Barcelona will not be sanctioned by La Liga as the matter has passed the statute of limitations. “It is impossible for there to be sporting sanctions, the statute of limitations. Another thing is criminal proceedings or corruption offence between private individuals. We have to wait for the public prosecutor’s office. If there is a complaint, we will have to appear. Ethically and aesthetically, this cannot happen in Spanish football,” Tebas said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the La Liga President has also alleged that other Premier League clubs in addition to Manchester City are guilty of breaching financial regulations. Notably, English champion Manchester City was earlier charged in February with more than 100 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules after a four-year investigation.
