Laporta hits out at ‘scoundrels’ who want to damage Barcelona amid refereeing scandal

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has sent out a pretty strong message regarding the current refereeing scandal engulfing the club.

The Catalans are facing corruption charges after an investigation revealed the club had paid former refereeing chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Laporta has promised to explain everything at a press conference, which we are still waiting for, but in the meantime has sent out a pretty strong message.

“I really want to face the scoundrels who are trying to stain our club,” he said.

“Barça is a club with values. The club is admired and recognised all over the world. It also happens that some, motivated by envy, try to erode our reputation with campaigns made in bad faith.

There are some ferocious attacks to sully our crest, which have nothing to do with reality. And you can be sure that the board of directors that I have the honour of presiding over will defend it with all our might.”

Prosecutors have claimed that Barca had an agreement with Negreira who favoured “decisions taken by referees in the games played by the club, as well as in the results of the competitions”.

The complaint relates to the period between 2018 and 2018 when €2.9m was paid and states former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu reached a “confidential verbal agreement” with Negreira.

Laporta also tweeted a message to supporters over the weekend, telling fans to be “calm” and vowing to prove the club’s innocence.