GFX BARCA TEBASGetty Images

Barcelona's titles tainted? La Liga president Javier Tebas admits he doesn't know if ref scandal 'affected the results of the matches'

  • Barcelona under investigation for payments
  • Will not be punished by La Liga
  • Tebas unsure if results were affected

WHAT HAPPENED? Barcelona have been embroiled in fresh controversy after it emerged the club made 33 payments to a company owned by the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees in Spain between 2016 and 2018. Tebas has previously said Barca won't face any sanctions from La Liga because of statute of limitations rules but has made it clear it's a serious issue for the integrity of the division.

Barcelona won La Liga in 2015-16 and 2017-18, and those triumphs are now being scrutinised.

WHAT THEY SAID: "There are a series of payments, for amounts that are not clear. I don't know if it has affected the results of the matches or not, but as president of LaLiga, I don't like it," Tebas said. "This is very surprising but very serious. It is doing a lot of damage to Spanish football."

Article continues below

AND WHAT'S MORE: Tebas added that he does not believe Real Madrid are behind the emergence of information on the payments to the former vice-president of referees.

"It's not a conspiracy," he said. "Another thing is the media noise, who put more meat on the grill. Behind it all there is no conspiracy from Real Madrid, the facts are in the Prosecutor's Office. If it reaches a [legal] court, La Liga will be there as a part of the case to find out what has happened, whether Barca has been ripped off or if it has interfered so that it has consequences."

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Javier TebasGetty ImagesRobert Lewandowski Barcelona referee 2022-23GettyXavi 2022-23Getty

WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA? Xavi's side are in La Liga action on Sunday against Cadiz at Camp Nou.

Advertisement