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The prosecutor's office alleges that Barcelona obtained a confidential verbal agreement with Negreira, in his capacity as vice-president of the technical arbitral committee (CTA), to carry out actions in favour of the club in decisions made by referees in exchange for money.
Barcelona FC is in hot water following allegations of corruption over payments made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee.
Last month, it was revealed that Barcelona paid Negreira and his company, Dasnil 95, a reported total of 8.4 million euros between 2001 and 2018.
A Barcelona court heard on Friday that the club, as well as former officials and Negreira, had been indicted for "corruption," "breach of trust," and "false business records."
The charges were brought by the Barcelona public prosecutor's office and target the club, former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, as well as Negreira.
The prosecutor's office alleges that Barcelona obtained a confidential verbal agreement with Negreira, in his capacity as vice-president of the technical arbitral committee (CTA), to carry out actions in favour of the club in decisions made by referees in exchange for money.
The controversy began after an investigation by tax authorities into Dasnil 95, which received payments from Barcelona totalling 1.4 million euros between 2016 and 2018.
Barcelona acknowledged the payments, describing Dasnil 95 as an "external technical consultant" hired to compile video reports related to professional referees, "with the aim of complementing the information required by the coaching staff."
The club claimed that contracting such reports was "a habitual practice among professional clubs."
The situation escalated after La Liga chief executive Javier Tebas demanded that current Barcelona president Joan Laporta resign if he could not explain the payments.
Laporta refused to step down, stating that the club had never bought referees and denying any wrongdoing. In response, 18 of the 20 La Liga clubs issued a statement expressing "deep concern" over the situation.
The charges come just three days after Laporta insisted that Barcelona had "never bought referees" and had "never had the intention of buying referees."
The allegations of corruption are a major blow to one of Europe's most successful football clubs in Europe. The case raises questions about the integrity of the sport and could have significant consequences for the club and the individuals involved if the charges are proven true.
Barcelona coach Xavi, who won eight La Liga titles with the club as a player, denied knowledge of the payments and said he had never felt that his team had an unfair advantage.
The club announced that it would launch an internal investigation into the payments, but the outcome of the legal case remains to be seen.
Fans of the club will be watching closely as the case unfolds, and the allegations of corruption could cast a shadow over the future of one of the world's most iconic football clubs.
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