Tebas call out Laporta over Negreira case: “Greatest reputational damage to Spanish football”

La Liga president Javier Tebas has once again called out Barcelona supremo Joan Laporta over the ‘Negreira case’, stating that the scandal has done great damage to Spanish football. Furthermore, he added that it was imperative for Laporta to provide an explanation.

The Negreira case came to light in mid-February, as reports emerged claiming that Barcelona had been making payments to a company owned by former Vice-President of Referees’ Committee Enriquez Negreira.

While the club maintain that the payments were made in exchange for services such as scout reports on players and technical reports on referees, allegations were levelled that the club had been paying to receive favourable treatment from match officials.

No evidence has been found to support those accusations, however. And earlier today it was confirmed that president Laporta will hold a press conference on April 17 to provide an explanation on the matter.

Tebas, who has been constantly at Laporta’s throat over the matter, demanded that the Barcelona president also show up at the La Liga assembly on April 19 and explain it to all the clubs.

“It is time for him to give explanations, it is important that he comes to the Assembly on 19 April and speaks to the rest of the clubs,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

“It is the greatest reputational damage that has been done to Spanish football in its entire history. It has been more than two months and we will see if he can clarify more than the letters he has sent to UEFA and FIFA.”

Stressing that there were many questions that needed to be answered and clarified, he added: “Why did the club pay the vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees these million-dollar sums for nearly 20 years? Why did Mr. Negreira say in his appearance at the Tax Agency that it was to achieve neutrality? All this has to be clarified.”

Furthermore, Tebas added that if the matter was on the table of La Liga and RFEF and was not past the statute of limitations, there would have been disciplinary proceedings and possible sanctions imposed on Barcelona.

The La Liga supremo expressed his surprise at how these payments had been carried on under four different presidents at Barça and said that he was eager to listen to the clarifications.

“Let’s see how they clarify it? I am anxious and so are the rest of the Spanish football clubs,” he said.