Barça (2003-2018): most penalties awarded, fewest red cards & most titles

The alleged payment of €1.3 million by Barcelona to the former vice president of the Refereeing Committee, José María Enríquez Negreira, has rocked the footballing world.

The latest scandal comes just two years after the original Barçagate, when Cadena SER Catalunya revealed that a company hired by the club had carried out an alleged smear campaign on social media against individuals and entities linked to the club with the likes of Pique and Messi among the targets.

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Cadena SER now report that Barça paid the company DASNIL 95 SL, whose sole beneficiary is Enríquez Negreira, around half a million euros per year between 2016 and 2018. The transactions were listed as “technical advice” so that Barcelona would not received arbitration decisions against them”, that is to say “for everything to be neutral”. The radio programme behind the revelations ‘Què t’hi Jugues’, claim that they have proof that these payments existed since at least 2003 with the systematized remuneration policy only ending in 2018.

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The controversial report

AS has compiled the statistics from Opta’s historical archive covering the 2003-04 to the 2017-18 season. During those fifteen seasons, Barcelona lead the way in the penalty kick rankings with 68 (125 in their favor and 57 against) and in red cards, with 43 (61 received, for the 104 shown to their rivals).

For the comparison exercise, the statistics of the six teams that were not relegated (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Club, Sevilla, Atlético, Valencia and Espanyol) in that period of time have been counted. The data comes from LaLiga games during the timeframe in question.

*(in bold, the team that leads each statistical section.

Barcelona also leads the list of national titles. During those 15 seasons, they won nine Leagues, six Copas del Rey and eight Spanish Super Cups. Real Madrid, for its part, won four Leagues, two Cups and three Super Cups.