Barcelona will not face sporting sanctions over payments to ex-VP of Referees Committee: Tebas

La Liga president Javier Tebas has confirmed that FC Barcelona will not be sanctioned by the league over the alleged payments to former Vice President of the Referees’ Committee, Enriquez Negreira.

Reports from SER Catalunya emerged yesterday claiming that Barça had made payments worth around €1.4 million to Negreira, who received the payment through a company he owned DASNIL 95 SL in exchange for ‘advisory’ services.

The club were quick to squash allegations of wrongdoing, stating that the payments were made for advisory services and technical reports on players from the lower leagues and professional refereeing.

With the reports spreading like wildfire, talks of a ban, points deduction and what not started to do the rounds.

However, Tebas has now clarified that Barcelona will not be sanctioned by La Liga on the matter as the matter is past the statute of limitations.

“It is impossible for there to be sporting sanctions, the statute of limitations would have expired,” the La Liga president said in a statement.

However, with the Barcelona justice system investigating the matter as a possible case of corruption, Tebas did not rule out further proceedings from the Public Prosecutors.

“Another thing is criminal proceedings or a corruption offence between private individuals. We have to wait for the public prosecutor’s office. If there is a complaint, we will have to appear. Ethically and aesthetically this cannot happen in Spanish football,” he added.