Shearer's right: Isak & Newcastle ARE title dark horses

Bayern Munich are rivalling Liverpool for contract chaos!

Welcome to Amad Diallo's world 

Man City need January signings to keep WSL title hopes alive

Madrid's biggest problem? They've still not replaced Kroos

Klopp to hold party for Liverpool players if Man City are stripped of titles 

Pep's daughter releases emotional interview after his shock split from wife

'Who does he think he is?' - Keane slams 'rubbish' Stewart

Zlatan offers brutal response to Ronaldo’s Ligue 1 criticism

Where would Man Utd be without Amad?

Laporta sends thanks to Real Madrid & Perez for support in Olmo case

Brazil told they 'have no chance' of winning World Cup without Neymar 

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="match-schedule">{"type":"match-schedule","data":{"channelId":"92686d1e-5985-40e1-80f3-6f5a54f55b39","competitionId":"34pl8szyvrbwcmfkuocjm3r6t"}}</script><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Long-running investigation taking place</li><li>Payments made to former RFEF chief</li><li>Catalan giants adamant they did nothing wrong</li></ul>

Barcelona under formal investigation for suspected 'active bribery' in Negreira refereeing scandal

LaLiga

Getafe

Barcelona

<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/barcelona-under-investigation-suspected-bribery-refereeing-case-court-2023-09-28/ " target="_blank"><em>Reuters</em></a> claim to have seen a court document confirming that the reigning Liga champions are part of a probe into alleged corruption in Spanish football which spanned more than two decades. The investigation into that case is now said to have been widened to the point that Barcelona are official suspects.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>Police forces have also searched the offices of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in Madrid as part of an ongoing inquiry into “possible systemic corruption” within the nation’s refereeing committee. Barca had already been pulled into that case when judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez claimed earlier in the September that the Catalan giants <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/negreira-scandal-spain-enriquez-negreira-barcelona-accusations/bltac05302825ee0ade" target="_blank">may have benefited from corrupt officiating</a>.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Prosecutors filed a complaint against Barcelona back in March regarding payments of more than €7.3 million that were <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/barcelona-33-payments-referee-vice-president-206-2018/bltbab0641faaf63e5e" target="_blank">paid to firms owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira</a> – the former vice-president of the RFEF refereeing committee – over the course of a 17-year period.</p>

DID YOU KNOW?

<p>Barca have <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/more-trouble-for-barcelona-uefa-opens-investigation-negreira-referee-payments-scandal/blt33bc0acfa09d5271" target="_blank">maintained their innocence throughout</a>, claiming to have paid an external consultant for “technical reports related to professional refereeing” – which they consider to be common practice. Aguirre said in early September that no evidence had been found so far of Negreira paying referees to influence matches, but the case has now taken another twist.</p>

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Barcelona under formal investigation for suspected 'active bribery' in Negreira refereeing scandal | Goal.com

Barcelona are under investigation for suspected “active bribery” relating to the long-running Negreira scandal, the Reuters news agency is reporting.