FC Barcelona have issued a statement after a report alleged the Spanish club have paid 1,392,680 euros to former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira through the company he owned named DASNIL 95.
Cadena SER Catalunya’s ‘Qué t’hi jugues’ radio program [via Forbes] reported that a court is investigating Barcelona’s payments to external companies. The radio program reports that Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, through DASNIL 95, received payments of €532,728.02 (in 2016, €541,752 in 2017, and €318,200 ($341,000) in 2018 from Barcelona.
In a statement Barcelona issued in the wake of the reports, the club said they are aware of investigations into payments of external companies taking place. Barcelona also acknowledged they hired an external consultant in the past. However, Barcelona stresses that it is a common practice among professional football clubs.
Barcelona also lamented the information has been released at a time when the club has hit its best form of the 22/23 season. The Catalan outfit, in the statement, also said they shall be taking legal actions against those trying to tarnish the club’s image ‘with possible insinuations against its good reputation that could be caused by the release of such information.’
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Barcelona releases statement following referee payment allegations
“In response to information broadcast today on the Què t’hi jugues show on radio station Ser Catalunya, FC Barcelona, which is aware of the investigations into payments of external companies, wishes to make the following points clear:” the statement released on Barcelona’s official website began.
“In the past, FC Barcelona hired the services of an external consultant that supplied the club’s technical secretaries with reports in video format of youth players from other clubs in Spain.
“Additionally, the relationship with that supplier extended to technical reports related to professional refereeing in order to complement the information requested by the first and second-team coaching staff. This is a common practice among professional football clubs.
“These kinds of outsourced services are now the duty of a professional who works for the Football Department.
“FC Barcelona is sorry that this information has been released precisely when the team has hit its best form of the season.
“FC Barcelona shall be taking legal actions against those who are trying to tarnish the club’s image with possible insinuations against its good reputation that could be caused by the release of such information.”
The post Barcelona Issue Statement After Being Accused of Paying Former Vice President of Technical Committee of Referees appeared first on The12thMan.
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