The upcoming La Liga clash between Spanish football giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, known as the Clasico, is one of the world’s most significant sporting events. However, the build-up to Sunday’s match has been overshadowed by the “Caso Negreira” corruption scandal.
Spanish prosecutors have charged Barcelona with corruption for payments made between 2001 and 2018 to the company of former refereeing chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, totaling around 7.3 million euros ($7.8 million). While the club claims the payments were for reports and advice on refereeing, prosecutors accuse them of seeking favorable decisions from officials.
Barcelona, former vice president of Spain’s refereeing committee (CTA) Negreira, and two former Barcelona presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, among others, have been charged.
Despite being able to virtually secure the La Liga title if they beat second-place Real Madrid on Sunday, the Negreira case continues to dominate headlines, with tensions rising around Spain.
At various stadiums in the first round of fixtures after Barcelona was charged last weekend, there was a form of protest against the alleged corruption scandal. It was clearest in the Basque country, where Xavi Hernandez’s side faced Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Supporters threw mock money onto the pitch with “mafia” printed on it, along with Barcelona’s club emblem.
While Barcelona responded quickly to the discovery of their payments to Negreira’s company in February and denied any wrongdoing, they have not scheduled a news conference to answer questions on the issue. Their silence has been criticized by La Liga president Javier Tebas, who called it the worst moment he remembers.
Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, has spoken out against what he calls a “campaign” to damage the club’s interests, but some, including Tebas, have criticized Laporta and Barcelona for playing the victim.
Real Madrid has joined the proceedings against Barcelona as an “injured party,” along with the CTA, Spanish football federation, La Liga, and Spain’s national sports council. As a result, Barcelona will not host the traditional directors’ lunch with Real Madrid and their president, Florentino Perez, ahead of the Clasico, according to Spanish reports.
SKJ