According to SER Catalunya’s ‘Que t’hi jugues’ show, Barcelona paid DASNIL 95 SL a figure of 532,728.02 euros in 2016, followed by 541,752 in 2017 and 318,200 in 2018.
An amount of almost 1.7 million euros to receive refereeing reports
The Royal Spanish Football Federation have made themselves available to justice to delve into the ‘Negreira case’. Barcelona reportedly paid Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former second in command of the Technical Committee of Referees, an amount of almost 1.7 million euros to receive refereeing reports. According to SER Catalunya’s ‘Que t’hi jugues’ show, Barcelona paid DASNIL 95 SL a figure of 532,728.02 euros in 2016, followed by 541,752 in 2017 and 318,200 in 2018. This is something that clashes head-on with the RFEF Statutes in Article 22: Basic rights and obligations of members. Paragraphs d and e read as follows: “Observe the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship in accordance with the regulations of fair play, which includes, in particular, the obligation to refrain from any activity that endangers the integrity of the RFEF or its competitions, or brings football into disrepute.
The case is currently in the hands of the Barcelona Prosecutor’s Office
“Refrain from accepting or giving gifts, as well as from accepting or giving any benefits that could reasonably be considered excessive in accordance with local culture and customs, including invitations from third parties with a vested interest in the future decisions of the RFEF. In case of doubt, the RFEF General Secretariat should be consulted.” It seems that the Royal Spanish Football Federation will only intervene if there is a specific request from justice. The case is currently in the hands of the Barcelona Prosecutor’s Office, and Negreira is the only one being investigated as a result of a tax inspection. For the time being, Barcelona are only suspected of malpractice, but they are not being investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Active referees or members of the bodies of the CTA must refrain from carrying out any work that is likely to enter into a conflict of interest
The RFEF remains on the sidelines because it is something that allegedly happened when the former board of directors was in charge. “The CTA wants to make it clear that Mr Enriquez Negreira is not part of any federative structure since the change of administration was carried out after the 2018 elections,” the RFEF press release read. “The Technical Committee of Referees regrets the behaviours that may be likely to undermine the ethics of the estate. Active referees or members of the bodies of the CTA must refrain from carrying out any work that is likely to enter into a conflict of interest. “The CTA places itself at the disposal of the Courts of Justice to offer its maximum collaboration in any type of information that this Committee may provide.”
But the case goes beyond that and may enter the field of very serious infractions, which are included in the Royal Decree on Sports Discipline (1591/1992), published in the BOE on February 19, 1993. Article 14 makes clear that a team could face relegation due to “actions directed to predetermine, by means of price, intimidation or simple agreements, the result of a test or competition”. This is where the Superior Sports Council could come into play. However, for the time being, authorities are investigating into the case.