Pique speaks out on Negreira case: Barcelona haven’t paid referees

Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has been talking about the refereeing scandal that is currently engulfing the Catalan giants.

The Catalans are accused of paying Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), but Pique says the allegations don’t make any sense.

“I’m putting my hand in the fire because Barça hasn’t paid the referees. If you want to buy a referee, it’s as easy as giving him an envelope,” he said.

“You don’t go to a vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees. It doesn’t have any logic. From here. we are used to conspiracies and campaigns.”

Pique also defended his team’s performances during the time span in question and made it clear Barcelona really didn’t need any help from the match officials at the time.

“As much as they want to mess it up, it’s such a golden age... it’s not what we won but how it was won,” he added.

“They can review everything. We were very, very superior. We did not depend on the referees. It’s true that the Prosecutor’s Office is involved, but I trust the club.”

Source | RAC1

Barcelona have come out strongly in recent days against the allegations. Pique’s words follow on from Joan Laporta yesterday who said he’s looking forward to confronting the “scoundrels” who are trying to damage Barcelona.