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LaLiga president Javier Tebas says Barcelona will not face sporting sanctions for payments made to a former senior referee’s company but could still suffer criminal jurisdiction.
Statute of limitations laws in Spain only make it possible to punish clubs within three years of any offences.
Barca’s last payment to DASNIL 95 SL — the company owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was the vice president of the refereeing committee in the country until 2018 — was five years ago.
However, Tebas says there could still be room for criminal action pending the outcome of an investigation into the money Barca paid to Negreira.
According to a report on Cadena Ser on Wednesday, Barca paid almost €1.4 million to DASNIL 95 SL between 2016 and 2018, with further payments potentially dating back as far as 2003.
In a statement, Barca said the service contracted from Negreira’s company, among other things, was for “technical reports related to professional refereeing” and that such practice was commonplace in football.
However, even in that case, the payments potentially represent a conflict of interest given Negreira’s role on the referee’s committee at the time.
“It is evident that in 2018 and in previous years the ‘compliance’ regulations which monitor conflicts of interest, both for Barcelona and the referee’s committee, failed,” Tebas said.
“From what we are seeing, what’s been revealed in the media, they obviously didn’t work as these services should never have been provided. Neither the amounts of money, nor the facts which have been unveiled.
“We must clarify from the outset, we have already looked into [sporting sanctions] — it is not possible to impose sports disciplinary sanctions because five years have already passed.
“Criminal jurisdiction is another issue. Now the prosecutor’s office is investigating the events that occurred and whether there may be a possible crime of corruption between individuals in terms of match-fixing.
“Let’s see how that investigation ends. At LaLiga, we are going to wait and respect the prosecutor’s office investigation and once that has finished, see whether it does decide to file the appropriate complaint or lawsuit in the corresponding courts. From there, we will make decisions.”
Tebas’ comments came after the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] also promised to cooperate on the investigation into the payments and the reason behind them.
About the accusations, former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told La Vanguardia: “It is false and absurd to think that we paid off any referee.”
On Wednesday, Barca said they would be taking “legal action against those who are trying to tarnish the club’s image with possible insinuations against its good reputation.”
A statement added they had contracted DASNIL 95 SL to provide “technical reports and videos” on Spanish footballers but also used them for information on refereeing.
Barça coach Xavi Hernandez confirmed the club had, “for many years,” sought details on refereeing to help players know how to behave or act in certain situations.
“This a common practice among professional football clubs,” Barca added. “These kinds of outsourced services are now the duty of a professional who works for the football department.”
Negreira was a top-flight referee in Spain between 1977 and 1992. He was later the vice president of the referee’s committee until 2018, when he left the role following elections.
The current president of the referees committee, Luis Medina Cantalejo, said he believed in the integrity of the league referees.
“We will trust that the courts will act and leave it in their hands and that if anyone is responsible that they pay the highest punishment,” he said.