- Barcelona accused of paying refereeing committee
- Charged with bribery over Negreira case
- Spanish side respond to 'slander'
WHAT HAPPENED? Current president Joan Laporta met with four of his predecessors, Joan Gaspart, Sandro Rosell, Enric Reyna, and Josep Maria Bartomeu, to come to a 'unified' position over alleged payments made to former refereeing vice-president Enriquez Negreira. The Spanish giants have been under investigation for a total of 33 payments totalling €1.6 million made to a company owned by Negreira between 2016 and 2018. Last week, Laporta was charged with bribery in relation to this matter and now the club have released a statement after Tuesday's meeting with the aforementioned quintet.
WHAT THEY SAID: The statement read: "FC Barcelona hereby announces that yesterday evening, its last five presidents, Joan Laporta, Josep Maria Bartomeu, Sandro Rosell, Enric Reyna, and Joan Gaspart, had an informal dinner together in order to consolidate and settle a unified position against the attacks and slander that have been attempting to unsettle life at the club, and which have intensified of late.
"Current president Joan Laporta accepted the proposition made by Joan Gaspart at last Saturday's General Assembly of Delegate Members, as a means to consolidate an unbreakable stance and forge cohesion among the club's membership.
"Over dinner, the five gentlemen analysed the current situation at FC Barcelona and reached a consensus on certain issues, the overarching aim being to support the club's best interests, especially with regard to affairs related to the incessant attacks on FC Barcelona throughout its history, and most especially of all in recent times."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: If Barcelona and key figures, past and present, are found guilty of these allegations, this could rock the Spanish team and its legacy going forward.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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FC BarcelonaWHAT NEXT? Barcelona and the rest of the footballing world will wait and see what comes out of this investigation.