Two months and two days after the outbreak of the Negreira case, the president of Fútbol Club Barcelona, Joan Laporta, explained the club's version of the investigation for alleged corruption in the entity's payments to the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) José María Enriquez Negreira. The president explained that, according to a preliminary report prepared by an office external to the club's Compliance department, Negreira's reports "are regular sports advisory services in regular sports", he recalled that "we live in a rule of law and that between There is a presumption of innocence according to its principles" and denounced that in this case Barcelona "has not had it at the media level. We have been victims of a public lynching before being tried and for that reason I ask for respect and responsibility. There are people with positions in the world of football that has not been responsible", he pointed out.
In this sense, Laporta denounced the attitude of Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga. And he referred to the information published by La Vanguardia. "Thebes has provided documentation to the cause that was wrong. It must stop fueling the controversy because it does not do the institution it represents any favors. It has even said that there were no reports. And remember that it is no coincidence that Thebes pronounces itself in this campaign at a time when Barcelona is working in the Super League and after having refused to enter into the agreement with CVC. Coincidentally the campaign gains momentum when we have awarded the new Camp Nou to an international construction company," he stressed. "There are officials such as the president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, or that of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, who have not signed up for this public lynching and I thank them for their position."
He also addressed Florentino Pérez's Real Madrid, who appeared as a private prosecution affected in the Negreira Case. "It has been considered the club of the current regime. And we all know that for 7 decades the majority of the presidents of the referees have been either ex-partners or ex-directors of Real Madrid. Let this club say that it feels harmed in the most brilliant period of FC Barcelona seems to me an unprecedented exercise in cynicism. I hope they can be unmasked," he asked.
Laporta appeared in a packed Auditori 1899 to meet the 70 journalists from the 110 accredited national and international media. On the platform there were also four boxes with documents. Three maroon and one red. They were previously placed by compliance Sergi Atienza accompanied by the lawyer Marc Molins and the head of the club's legal services, Pere Lluís Mellado. Before answering the questions of the thought, the president made a previous 30-minute speech addressing the partners and public opinion.
"Barcelona fans suffer a reputational smear campaign due to defamatory conclusions that have nothing to do with reality. In its 125-year history, Barcelona has been a model club that has contributed a lot. We have won over decades thanks to effort, knowledge and talent of players, coaches, workers and their partners", began Laporta. "And when we lose we don't look for excuses, we congratulate the contrary. We like to win well, playing well. Not with help from referees. Sometimes they criticize us out of envy, resentment or extra-sports issues. They have made us pay for the fact that Barcelona is more than a club but they won't get it", he added.
The president's appearance coincides a month after the Barcelona Investigating Court 1 admitted for processing the complaint by the Prosecutor's Office and the complaint by the arbitrator Xavier Estrada Fernández, which originated the legal case. "We entrusted an internal investigation to the compliance department, which at the same time entrusted the case to an external firm. We have let the professionals work to obtain information. And we go out when we have it," he explained.
In said judicial case, the judge has opened it for the alleged ongoing crimes of corruption between individuals in the sports field, unfair administration and false commercial documents, and are investigated, in addition to Negreira, FC Barcelona as a legal entity and its former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu. Negreira's company DASNIL 95 SL and former Blaugrana directors Óscar Grau and Albert Soler are also being investigated as a legal entity.
The complaint that originated the case maintains that, between 2016 and 2018, Negreira received 1,392,680 euros from FC Barcelona through his company Dasnil 95 SL. For its part, the Prosecutor's Office suspects that from 2001 to 2018 Negreira received more than 7.3 million euros from Barça through his companies, in exchange for "actions tending to favor the FCB in the decision-making of the referees in the matches played by the club, and thus in the results of the competitions". Laporta defended the integrity of the club. "Barcelona has never carried out any action that had the purpose or intention of altering the competition to obtain sporting advantages. And it has not been possible to demonstrate that the payments made to Negreira could have influenced the choice of referees or influence sporting results" , he stressed.
Negreira was relieved of the CTA in May 2018 and then Barça stopped paying him with Bartomeu as president. "Payments have been paid via bank transfer and have passed the relevant tax reviews during my tenure at least. It has not been an irregular conduct. Barça has been a victim of this situation. There is no crime of sports corruption. We are not responsible for "No crime. Barcelona is a wronged person. I ask Barcelona fans and members more than ever to be next to the club and our teams so that they don't destabilize us," Laporta stated.
