Barcelona released a statement minutes before their game against Sevilla on Friday, accusing their opponents of launching an ‘unjustified and inappropriate attack’ on the club. The two Spanish teams went head-to-head in LaLiga on Friday evening, with Barcelona hoping to return to the top of the table after dropping points to Mallorca in midweek. However, before what seemed to be just another game in Spanish football, the Catalan club slammed Sevilla for what they labeled ‘an attack against the Catalan institution and an unacceptable offense’.
It is alleged that Sevilla refused to attend an institutional lunch amongst directors and its representatives have refused to take their places in the directors’ box at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, where the club has been playing its home games. Barca’s statement was in response to one made by Sevilla, who said their actions were in relation to the ongoing investigation that Barcelona allegedly bribed referees, which the club has denied.
Barcelona’s statement, in full, read: ‘FC Barcelona wishes to show publicly its condemnation of Sevilla FC’s unjustified and inappropriate attack after the club today refused to attend the institutional lunch amongst directors prior to today’s game between the two teams at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where its representatives have also refused to take their places in the directors’ box. Furthermore, the Andalusian club has published a statement in which it shows its “indignation and condemnation for the practices carried out by former FC Barcelona directors named in the Negreira case” and announces its absence from the directors’ box for today’s game. FC Barcelona believes this to be an attack against the Catalan institution and an unacceptable offense.’
The judge investigating alleged payments made by Barcelona to the vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee has decreed that current president Joan Laporta and two other former presidents could stand trial for bribery. According to documents reproduced by Spanish media, the investigation by Judge Joaquín Aguirre has concluded that it was ‘logical’ to understand that Barcelona was trying to buy influence. Negreira was the vice-president of the Spanish Football Federation’s refereeing committee and is therefore considered to have been a civil servant during the time payments were being made to him.
Sevilla had released their own statement beforehand, expressing their ‘complete outrage and condemnation’ of the actions carried out by the former officials of FC Barcelona who are indicted in the Negreira case. As a result, Laporta and two other former presidents could be charged with bribery on the basis that they were allegedly buying favors from government officials. Sevilla suspended the normal protocol corresponding to the LaLiga match scheduled for that day between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC as a response.
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football. It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
