La Liga President Javier Tebas in favour of docking Barcelona points for Negreira case

La Liga President Javier Tebas has declared that if it were in his power, he would be in favour of Barcelona being relegated or deducted points, should they be found guilty of sporting corruption.

Barcelona were charged with alleged bribery of a public official on Thursday morning, and it looks as if they will have to go to court to defend themselves in the so-called Negreira case.

Tebas was speaking at an event on the social impact of La Liga, when Marca covered his initial response to the issue.

“I have to see the argument regarding Barcelona’s accusation of bribery. Bribery is when a crime is committed against a public official. Maybe they consider that the referees… I don’t know, I have to legally assess it as a lawyer. What about the civil police searching the offices of the Technical Committee of Referees, I think it is as a consequence of the fact that La Liga, as a private accusation, requested that the Federation had to accredit a series of tests to the court.”

“We have been asking that they provide what the assessment was made by UEFA, a assessment that was made of the referees and some other documents that the Federation or the CTA was not providing.”

“Fundamentally in response to our letter, as it had not been porvided and it is an important issue to be able to continue the investigations, the entry into evidence. When someone does not provide the evidence requested and the Federation has already been set aside as a private accusation… As a consequence they comes into the house to obtain documentation that was not being provided.”

La Liga have provided evidence in the case, but Tebas feels the other clubs, who are part of it as damaged parties, have done little else to help matters.

“It should be noted that we are practically the only private accusation that is providing impetus to the Negreira issue, a lot is said by certain ‘representatives’ of the Negreira issue that LaLiga… We are the only ones who are contributing written evidence, contributing our knowledge of the sector to help. There are others who are in the private accusation, such as Real Madrid, which made the document of appearance and a document preventing it from being removed from the private accusation that Bartomeu requested… And has not done anything else.”

“Although it seems that his spokespeople are very interested, he has not done anything else. “We are here and this charge almost certainly comes as a consequence of some writings that LaLiga made.”

🚨 Javier Tebas (La Liga President): "El Caso Negreira? There are indications of irregular payments, they should never have been made. But only the clues are not valid, we have to check if it is real." via @partidazocope

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 28, 2023

Tebas admitted that the reputational damage to Spanish football was high, following on from the Luis Rubiales kiss scandal and racial abuse of Vinicius Junior this year too. La Liga can no longer take action against Barcelona as the case is beyond five years and therefore outwith the statute of limitations.

“In this case, we must continue investigating to clarify the level of influence that Negreira had on promotions and relegations [of referees], which in my opinion, he had a lot. And the level of influence on the appointed referees. But the mere fact of trying to influence him is punishable in the criminal field, it is already sports corruption. I am not pointing at one director or another, I am saying that we have to continue investigating. Four different directors paying Negreira is very serious. And the reputational damage, very high.”

He says he would be in favour of Barcelona being docked points or relegated. The judge could potentially suspend Barcelona from activity.

“It is not our responsibility, but I think it is an appropriate measure [docking points]. Having that in the disciplinary system. We have to have a system of subtracting points, we are one of the few countries that does not have that measure.”

“There are indications of totally irregular payments that should not have been made to the vice-president of the referees. It will have to be clarified if that was the intention.”