Barcelona found guilty by Catalan court for 'Negreira case'

Barcelona have been guilty of bribing referees

Judge Joaquin Aguirre of Barcelona, is looking into the "Caso Negreira" involving FC Barcelona's transactions with the previous referee.

José Mara Enrquez Negreira, issued a decree on Thursday charging FC Barcelona with corruption along with the other individuals under inquiry, such as earlier club leaders Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, because the Technical Committee of Referees (TCR) is dependent on the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RF).

He claims that Enriquez Negreira "exercised public functions" in this capacity as vice-president of the aforementioned committee.

As a result, adding this infraction treats him the same as a civil servant for criminal purposes. It will be a "popular" court (with a jury) that determines the accused's guilt or innocence because the legal system is designed to be governed by the law of the jury.

Furthermore, there is no need for match-fixing proof for this kind of infraction because Barcelona's funds were already proven.

Enriquez Negreira "participated in the exercise of public functions" while receiving compensation from FC Barcelona, according to court papers to which EL PERIDICO, a publication in the Prensa Ibérica network, has information.

Over the course of 18 years, the previous referee got over seven million euros via businesses owned by him or his son.

The magistrate claims that after he resigned from his role as vice-president of the expert group, the Catalan club also ceased paying him.

The judge cites this as evidence as well as the fact that the funds were given "with an indicative nature" as a reaction to the referee's status with the organisation that oversees officiating in Spanish football.