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CORRUPTION

Spanish police search referee headquarters in Barça corruption probe

Police in Spain on Thursday searched the headquarters of the country's football referee committee as part of a probe into payments made by Liga giants Barcelona to a firm owned by a former official of the body.

Spanish police search referee headquarters in Barça corruption probe
Prosecutors allege Barça paid a total of more than €7.3 million to Negreira. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)

Prosecutors suspect the club paid millions of euros to the company of Jose María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee, between 2001 and 2018, to try to influence referee decisions.

The Barcelona court investigating the case on Thursday ordered the search of the headquarters “as part of the investigation into the suspect payments made by the Catalan club” to Negreira, the regional court oversight body said in a statement.

The Guardia Civil police force, which was carrying out the search of the committee located in the headquarters of Spain’s football federation in Las Rozas on the outskirts of Madrid, did not expect to make any arrests as part of the operation, a spokesman said.

Spanish prosecutors in March charged Barcelona as well as two of the club’s former presidents, Josep María Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and Negreira and his son, Javier Enriquex Negreira, with corruption over the affair.

They allege Barça paid a total of more than €7.3 million to Negreira, former vice president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish football federation between 1994 and 2018.

The investigation began after Spain’s tax authorities identified irregularities in tax payments made between 2016 and 2018 by the company Dasnil 95 — owned by Negreira.

Dasnil 95 reportedly received payments from Barcelona between those years.

Barcelona says Dasnil 95 was paid to advise the club on refereeing matters but the prosecutors suspect the money could have been used to corrupt game officials.

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SPORT

Atlético Madrid hit with partial stadium closure after racist abuse

Atlético Madrid must partially close their stadium for two La Liga matches after Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams suffered racial abuse there, the Spanish football federation said.

Atlético Madrid hit with partial stadium closure after racist abuse

The Spain international heard monkey chants directed at him in the first half of his team’s 3-1 defeat at Atlético’s Metropolitano stadium in Spain’s top flight on Saturday.

“(Atlético have been issued) a sanction of partial closure of their sports venue for a period of two matches and a financial penalty of €20,000 ($21,350),” said the federation’s competition committee in a statement.

READ ALSO: World Cup winner Del Bosque to watch over Spain’s scandal-hit federation

One area of Atlético’s stadium will be shut for the upcoming league matches against Celta Vigo and Osasuna, as they strive for a top four finish.

“I went to take the corner and I heard monkey noises,” said Williams after Saturday’s game.

“There weren’t many of them. There are stupid people everywhere… I hope this changes bit by bit.”

Williams scored after the abuse and celebrated by pointing to his arm in reference to his skin colour.

“(The celebration) was with a bit of anger, it’s not normal to be insulted for the colour of your skin,” he added.

Spanish football has suffered a spate of racist incidents in recent years, many of which have been aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.

The Brazil international earned global support after facing off with a fan who was abusing him last year at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, which also faced subsequent partial closure.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The racism problem that has blighted Spanish football

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