(Football news) European governing body UEFA have appointed an ethics and disciplinary investigator to investigate FC Barcelona over payments made to the vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee. The Catalan club has already been indicted for “corruption”, “breach of trust” and “false business records”. According to prosecutors, Barcelona paid 8.4m euros (£7.4m) to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his Dasnil 95 company between 2001 to 2018.

A statement released by UEFA read “Ethics and disciplinary inspectors have been appointed to conduct an investigation regarding a potential violation of Uefa’s legal framework by FC Barcelona in connection with the so-called ‘Caso Negreira”. Radio station Ser Catalunya revealed that the payments had been made after an investigation was made by tax authorities into Dasnil 95. Barcelona have described the company as “an external technical consultant” who were paid to compile videos “with the aim of complementing the information required by the coaching staff”.

The public prosecutor’s office said “FC Barcelona obtained and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the technical arbitral committee (CTA) and in exchange for money, the latter carries out actions tending to benefit FC Barcelona in decisions by the referees.” A number of former club officials have been indicted including former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell as well as Negreira. Real Madrid said that “in defence of its legitimate rights, it will appear at the trial when the judge opens it up to the affected parties”.

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