Barcelona President Joan Laporta Investigated for Bribery
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is being investigated for bribery by Spanish prosecutors after being made a ‘suspect’ on Wednesday, according to reports. Laporta is one of seven people who are being investigated over payments of €7.3 million made by Barcelona to former senior referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Background of the Investigation
Negreira was vice-president of the Spanish football federation’s refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018 and is said to have received the €7.3m over a 17-year period. Laporta, meanwhile, started a second term as Barcelona president two years ago following his first spell between 2003 and 2010.
Last month, investigating judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez put Barcelona under a probe for suspected ‘active bribery’ despite the La Liga club denying any wrongdoing. In the latest twist, though, the judge has officially implicated Laporta for the first time and he is now being considered as a suspect in the case, CNN have reported.
Barcelona Denies Wrongdoing
In February, Barcelona admitted they had paid an external consultant for ‘technical reports related to professional refereeing’ – but argued that this was common practice among football clubs. According to Reuters, Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday that their legal team is handling the ongoing case.
Barcelona’s Performance on the Pitch
Meanwhile, on the pitch, Barcelona are third in La Liga after their opening nine games of the season and sit in third place despite remaining unbeaten. The Catalan club, who have been struggling with financial issues in recent years, won the La Liga title last season.
Conclusion
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is being investigated for bribery by Spanish prosecutors after being made a ‘suspect’ on Wednesday. Laporta is one of seven people who are being investigated over payments of €7.3 million made by Barcelona to former senior referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Last month, investigating judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez put Barcelona under a probe for suspected ‘active bribery’ despite the La Liga club denying any wrongdoing. Barcelona have confirmed that their legal team is handling the ongoing case and that they remain focused on their performance on the pitch.