Joan Laporta press conference: What did the Barcelona president say about the Negreira refereeing scandal?
In response to the ‘Caso Negreira’ investigation the Barça chief gave an explosive public address from Camp Nou.
On Monday morning FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta held an extraordinary press conference from Camp Nou. The Barcelona chief set out to answer the questions raised by the investigation into historic payments made to the former vice president of the referees’ federation, Enriquez Negreira.
As well as responding to the ‘Caso Negreira,’ Laporta also struck out against La Liga for perceived injustices related to the investigation.
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Laporta claimed that some involved in the case “seem keen to destabilize us” in a punchy public address from Camp Nou. Here’s what he had to say…
Barcelona has a reputation as a “clean club”
On Monday Laporta began by saying that it was his duty to address reports on the ‘Caso Negreira’. Since news of the payments to Negreira first emerged the Barcelona chief has been eager to highlight the club’s moral standing.
“As the top member of the club, I wanted to offer an explanation of the ‘Negreira Case’ and offer facts and although this is not a case reflected for the current board, we have suffered from conclusions that are not related to the club.”
“Barcelona has always been a ‘clean’ club throughout its history. We celebrate wins together and when we lose, we don’t look for excuses. This is a club based on core values and we want to win the ‘right’ way.”
Laporta shows a slideshow claiming to detail Negreira’s briefing work
Much of the controversy surrounding the payments, totalling roughly €7 million, has been the question of exactly what Negreira was being paid to do.
“We received 629 reports from Negreira, along with 43 CDs along with other briefings,” Laporta claimed in the press conference.
But for many onlookers the admission of paying a key figure within the refereeing federation for information on officials raises yet more questions.
Laporta continues crusade against La Liga
Since his return to the club as president in 2021, Laporta has made a habit of openly criticising his perceived opponents. Earlier this month he called on La Liga chief Javier Tebas to resign and he continued his crusade against the league on Monday.
“La Liga have behaved in an unprofessional manner and have condemned us without any proof, many of these accusations have been erroneous. I ask them to desist from these declarations”.
He added that the allegations were designed to hamper the club in a sporting sense, despite the fact that the initial investigation was launched by the Spanish Tax Office and the Prosecutor’s Office. In recent weeks Laporta has claimed that the accusations were a response to the side’s good form in the league this season and continued to push that opinion on Monday.
“Some seem keen to destabilize us. They want to create a case that doesn’t exist and tarnish the reputation of the club”.
“Nothing is a coincidence.... This campaign comes just as we are starting to do better financially, we’re top of La Liga and we need to stand by the team more than ever.”
More on this breaking news story as it develops…