Spanish Referees Defend Themselves Amid FC Barcelona Scandal | Soccer Information

Spain’s referees gathered in Madrid on Thursday to defend their career within the wake of a scandal involving Barcelona’s fee of tens of millions of {dollars} over a number of years to a former referee who then appearing as their vp.

Barcelona denies any wrongdoing and says the cash was for reviews on referees and youth gamers, however a Spanish state prosecutor is probing the enterprise after the nation’s tax officers acquired concerned.

“We need to clarify that nobody has extra at stake than we do in assuring that justice is served, referee Jose Sanchez learn from the manifesto within the identify of the complete physique of soccer match officers. The manifesto hoped that the alleged acts by an individual that in his time shaped a part of this home will not stain our picture and the honour of this nice physique.”

A number of hundred lively and former referees and referee assistants attended the primary information convention given by the Spanish soccer federation because the scandal was damaged by Spain’s Cadena SER radio station on Feb. 15.

The refereeing physique tried to distance itself from the connection between Barcelona and former referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was part of the Spanish soccer federation’s refereeing committee from 1994-2018. Native media reviews say Barcelona’s funds to Enriquez reached 7 million euros ($7.5 million) between 2001 and 2018 after they stopped.

Whereas not confirming the precise figures, Barcelona has acknowledged the common fee to Enriquez throughout these years. The membership has employed an unbiased agency to hold out its investigation and is anticipated to offer a extra detailed account of the connection with Enriquez as soon as that’s concluded.

There have been no reviews from officers or within the media of the funds being linked to favoritism towards Barcelona by referees. Many former referees who had been lively on the time Enriquez was their vp have mentioned they by no means obtained any stress from him or different officers. Additionally they mentioned that his function was to tell referees what competitors that they had been designated every season, however not which video games.

Spanish soccer federation secretary normal Andreu Camps, second to president Luis Rubiales, mentioned on the occasion that his group has complied with requests for data from Spain’s tax workplace and prosecutors and stored UEFA knowledgeable.