LaLiga takes decision on punishing Barcelona for paying referee €1.4m. Barcelona won’t be penalized, according to LaLiga president Javier Tebas, for payments made to the firm of former senior referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
He acknowledged that the Catalans may still be subject to criminal jurisdiction.
Spain’s statute of limitations only permits teams to be penalized three years after an offense.
On Wednesday, Cadena Ser reported that Barca made payments of about €1.4 million to Negreira’s DASNIL 95 SL between 2016 and 2018, with further payments perhaps going back as far as 2003.
Barcelona stated in a statement that Negreira’s business sent them “technical reports relating to professional refereeing.”
But, even in that scenario, Negreira’s prior membership on the referee’s committee raises the possibility that the payments still pose a conflict of interest.
See how that probe turns out. LaLiga will observe the prosecutor’s office inquiry and wait for its conclusion before deciding whether to submit the proper complaint or lawsuit in the relevant courts. We will then make decisions,” Tebas stated.
