Dani Carvajal of Real Madrid receives the red from referee José Sánchez in a classic against Barcelona in 2017 (REUTERS / Sergio Pérez)
The bomb exploded in Spanish football for the alleged payments to referees to benefit Barcelona for 17 years. New revelations contribute to the scandal that is shaking La Liga and there are those who ask for the actions of the competent bodies and an exemplary measure taking the example of what happened in Italy with Juventus. The Catalan club would have done them during four presidencies, that of Joan Gaspart, Joan Laporta (in his first stage), Sandro Rosell and Josep María Bartomeu. Now, a dialogue was leaked that put on alert.
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The program Qué te jugas from Cadena SER in Barcelona produced an impact by announcing that between 2001 and 2018 the Fútbol Club Barcelona paid around 7 million dollars to the then vice-president of the entity that brings together Spanish referees, the Comité Referee Technician (CTA), José María Enríquez Negreira, supposedly (according to some former leaders now maintain), to report aspects related to the judge who had to lead the Barça team and, others, regulations. In an interview with Infobae, Siqué Rodríguez, the journalist who denounced this issue, told all the details.
His son, Javier Enríquez, also charged from Barcelona for alleged advice, but through another company, “Soccer Cam” and this Monday the El Chiringuito program recalled an image in which he is seen entering the Camp Nou in 2015 and conversing with to the fourth referee, Fernando Román Román. The capture was published on the social networks of the program.
Javier Enríquez with the fourth official entering the Camp Nou (capture El Chiringuito)
While the newspaper El Mundo went further and denounced that Enríquez Jr. was once at the hotel where the judges stayed and traveled with them in his car. At that moment he would have reminded them: “You know, calm down here. Barcelona has a lot at stake and their pulse cannot shake. You have plenty, so you know exactly what you have to do”.
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Once at the facilities of the 1982 World Cup stadium, Enríquez separated from the referees and then always took different paths, since he went to greet employees of the Catalan entity, because he was a well-known character, according to the aforementioned half.
In turn, El Chiringuito added that Javier Enríquez still attends the Barça venue with the judges, beyond the fact that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) maintains that he has already been separated from the Technical Committee of Referees since 2018. According to said broadcast of TV, Enríquez’s task is “coaching with the referees”, because it has nothing to do with the payments he received from Barcelona, and that his work is a personal matter.
Press release from Espanyol de Barcelona
But the controversy goes further and now there are clubs that demand an investigation by the competent authorities and measures. For example, Espanyol, Barça’s neighbor: RCD Espanyol de Barcelona is alarmed by the information published in different media regarding the so-called ‘Negreira case’”, he published in a statement.
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“Although it is still in the investigation phase, the possible implications of what has been published for our competition, the clubs that make it up and the organizations affected would be so serious that they require exceptional action when it comes to clarifying what has really happened” added the press release.
“We urge the competent bodies and institutions to deal with the matter with the speed and exemplary nature that corresponds to a case that calls into question the reputation of our football at an international level,” he concluded.
Javier Tebas on the arbitration scandal: “If Laporta does not explain well why he was paid, I think he should resign”
But there is more, since the president of La Liga himself, Javier Tebas, was blunt and told why Laporta should resign: “If he does not explain why he was paid, I think so (he should resign). He has not provided a reasonable explanation for these payments. In the note that Barcelona released, it seemed that this was done by all football clubs. It is one thing to have former referees and another to have former referees who are on the Technical Committee of Referees. This is an issue that I would like to see clarified. The time that this has happened is not three seasons, it is many seasons. In addition, with many directives, which did not speak to each other. I do not like”.
“For me it is not decisive that there are contracts. That someone active bills for verbal advice to achieve the neutrality of the referees is enough to continue investigating. And also for 16 or 17 years. It is not decisive if there is a contract, ”he assured in a conference in which the limits of the costs of the La Liga squads were announced.
Finally, Tebas warned that if it becomes necessary, La Liga will report the matter to FIFA and UEFA: “If we believe that they have to enter into this, we will issue the corresponding complaint. I’ve been saying it since the second day. He wanted more data and more circumstances. We do not expect people to enter ex officio. Especially in these issues there are signs of corruption. We have always been active. We have denounced City, Juventus, PSG… it is clear that we will have to do something. If here (in Spain) it has prescribed, we will go to places where it has not prescribed”.
Harsh cross between Piqué and Casillas about the supposed arbitration benefits that Barcelona would have received
Finally, another testimony contributed to the controversy and it was between no less than two world champions with Spain in South Africa 2010. It was the one held by Gerard Piqué and Iker Casillas, who usually meet for the Kings League, the special 7-a-side soccer event. There The subject of the supposed arbitration aid that Barcelona had had was taken up again and there was a hot round trip.
“Barca and Madrid have always benefited the most and we have always said this,” acknowledged Piqué, a former defender of the culé team. “Wait a second. For a team to go two years without receiving a penalty against or a red card, it’s incredible in football, ‘machine’. What’s happening? They don’t come to our area with that tiki taka. Because we arrived, eh”, replied Casillas, a former Real Madrid goalkeeper.
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