• Loading stock data...
Friday, May 9, 2025
Join us May 14 at 1 p.m. ET for Future of Sports: Leagues of Their Own Register Now

Barcelona in Hot Water Over Payments to Ref Consultant

  • Barcelona paid a firm part-owned by a member of La Liga’s refereeing committee from 2016 to 2018.
  • The club has claimed no wrongdoing regarding the relationship.
FC Barcelona players stand together on the field before a La Liga match.
FC Barcelona

The relationship between FC Barcelona and a consulting company has raised suspicions that the team was bribing referees.

The iconic La Liga club was revealed to have paid around $1.5 million from 2016-2018 to DASNIL 95 SL, a firm part-owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was on La Liga’s refereeing committee at the time. The revelation came out on the “Que T’hi Jugues” show on radio station SER Catalunya.

Barcelona acknowledged the payments, saying they were for video reviews of young players on other clubs and consulting on officiating.

Team president Joan Laporta suggested that the practice is common among soccer teams and that the revelation is coming out because Barca is in first place in La Liga.

Negreira claimed in Spanish court that he didn’t influence how referees called games — and that he merely advised Barcelona on how to behave around specific referees.

European Super League Plans 80-Club Tournament

The competition would feature no permanent members.
February 9, 2023

Negreira was vice president of La Liga’s Technical Committee of Referees until 2018. Josep Maria Bartomeu was president of Barcelona at the time, but stepped down in 2020 amid tax fraud allegations.

Barcelona had a 78-game streak, ending in 2018, in which opposing teams were not awarded a penalty kick — Barca was given at least 32 penalty kicks during that period. The club also had a stretch of at least 28 games in which players weren’t given a single red card.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) lines up for the tush push play on the goal line against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome.

Saquon Barkley Defends Tush Push, Tells Opponents to ‘Get Better’

Saquon Barkley makes a passionate defense for the hotly debated play.

Ladies European Tour Gets Prize Money Boost From Saudi Arabia

A new PIF Global Series will pay out $13 million.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) raises the Lamar Hunt Trophy with tight end Travis Kelce (87) after the AFC championship NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 29, 2023, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

F1 Team Part-Owned by Mahomes, Kelce Makes Changes Amid Struggle

Alpine is ninth in the constructors’ championship.

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee (l) greets former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. during the game between the LA Clippers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

‘Friends of the Garden’: Inside the NBA’s Most Exclusive Celebrity Suite

“Among the titans of industry, deals are done at Suite 200.”
exclusive
May 9, 2025

Shams Charania on Draft, Breaking Dončić Trade, ‘Whirlwind’ ESPN Tenure

Charania will work on his first NBA draft lottery for ESPN on Monday.
Fat Perez reacts after hitting his shot on the 16th tee during the WHOOP Shot at Glory on the 16th hole at TPC in Scottsdale on Feb. 5, 2025.
May 7, 2025

Golf Influencers Are the New Currency for PGA Tour and LIV

YouTube golf is big business. The rival tours are staging formal events.
Feb 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson talks with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11), forward Mikal Bridges (25), and guard Josh Hart (3) during a timeout in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.
May 6, 2025

Before the Villanova Knicks, There Were the Kentucky Celtics

Three decades ago, Boston tried its own version of the college-teammate experiment.
White Sox

Pope Confirmed White Sox Fan After False Cubs Claims

Pope Leo XIV’s brother confirmed the pontiff is a White Sox fan.
PSG
May 8, 2025

PSG in Champions League Final After Shedding Nine-Figure Superstar Salaries

PSG previously tried to win with a trio of Neymar, Messi, and Mbappé. 
Feb 13, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville reacts in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.
May 8, 2025

Joel Quenneville Back in NHL After Ban for Blackhawks Scandal

The former Chicago coach was banned from the NHL until last year.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Portfolio Players is our bi-weekly spotlight on the athletes and investors reshaping the business of sports. This week, venture capitalist Kai Cunningham unpacks why athletes land top deals and how the usual investing rules don’t always apply.
May 8, 2025

Celtics-Knicks Game 3 Tickets Near Super Bowl Prices

Game 3 against the Celtics has resale ticket prices beginning around $700.
May 8, 2025

Reeling Cavs Have NBA’s Third-Most-Expensive Roster Next Season

Cleveland trails the Pacers, 2–0, in the conference semifinals.
Jayson Tatum
May 8, 2025

The All-In Celtics Are Suddenly on the Brink

The defending champions find themselves down 2–0 and facing an expensive future.
Milwaukee Brewers Hot Dog Club promotion
May 7, 2025

Brewers Undo Sales Tax on ‘Free’ Hot Dog Promotion

At least one fan was outraged by a surprise charge.