Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has called for an emergency meeting to decide on the club’s proper course of action after FC Barcelona were charged with corruption.
The Catalan powerhouse was charged with corruption over payments made by the club’s management to the former vice president of the Spanish Referees Committee (SRC).
The public prosecutor of Spain has accused the club of having an ongoing relationship with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, in which, ‘in exchange for money,’ he took actions that would ‘lead to Barcelona being favored in the decision making of the referees.
According to the prosecution, a total amount of £7.4m was allegedly paid by the club to Negreira and a company he operates.
Given the gravity of the allegations leveled against Barcelona, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has called for an emergency meeting on the 12th of March, 2023, of the club’s board of directors, as confirmed by the official Real Madrid website.
The statement that Real Madrid posted on their Instagram official page reads; “Given the seriousness of the accusations made by the Prosecutor’s Office of Barcelona and two of his presidents of the Technical Committee of Referees Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the president has urgently convened the Board of Directors today Sunday, 12th of March, 2023, to decide the actions that Real Madrid deems appropriate about this matter.
FC Barcelona could be hit with hefty fines, and Negreira, Sandro Rosell, Josep Bartomeu, Oscar Grau, and Albert Soler, all former presidents, and current and former directors could spend up to four years in jail.
Evidence that Negreira used money paid to him by Barcelona to influence games in the club’s favor will now be evaluated by the courts.
Barcelona’s current president Joan Laporta was asked about the scandal earlier this week and said: ‘Barca has never bought referees and Barca has never had any intention of buying referees. Not ever, not ever. The facts are irrefutable and disprove the revisionists.’
An investigation into a company owned by Negreira claims the club paid the company £1.2m over two years ending in 2018 for “technical advice on referees.” This news first shook Barcelona last month.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas demanded Laporta’s resignation last month if he did not explain the club’s payments to Negreira.
This is going to be a drawn-out legal battle, and if the club is found guilty, the results could mean serious consequences for everyone involved.
Los Blancos have finally spoken out about the corruption rumors, and they aren’t happy about the ‘Negreira case,’ which has clearly outraged Barca’s Clasico opponents.
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