- Barcelona. Barcelona president Joan Laporta charged with suspected bribery
- Barcelona. Barcelona charged with bribery by the judge in the 'Negreira Case'
Joan Laporta has defended his innocence and that of Barcelona in the so-called Negreira Case.
The Barcelona president is under investigation for suspected bribery, but he accused Real Madrid of getting involved in order to seek Barcelona's punishment.
Back in March, prosecutors filed a complaint regarding suspected payments exceeding 7.3 million euros made over a span of 17 years to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who held the position of vice-president in the Spanish football federation's refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018.
"There is a sociological Real Madrid influence that is very strong, against which we have fought and won," Laporta stated.
"It is a very big challenge to fight, with sportsmanship, against sociological Real Madrid influence.
"We are used to it. It's in the media, in political sectors, in sporting power, and we have to accept it as normal.
"But, as Barcelona fans, we have to compete, and we have won against this. They panic when they face a winning, admired and loved Barcelona.
"Sociological Real Madrid influence has taken advantage of the Negreira Case.
"They dirty the name of Barcelona and our history. They want to control Barcelona, and some of them even want to take over.
"That's an issue that should always be taken into account.
"There is an orchestrated campaign to destabilise Barcelona. It is a ferocious and unprecedented campaign that takes advantage of the Negreira Case".
Laporta believes Barcelona will avoid punishment
Laporta went on to express his belief that Barcelona will not be punished by the judge due to the lack of proof of bribery.
"We are testing our hypothesis and we will see if we go to trial," Laporta added.
"We are calm. I am a jurist and this cannot prosper.
"The judge has not proved that Barcelona benefited because it is not true.
"Those reports were useful because they were used for sporting purposes. And we have proved that. Those reports were documented.
"There is no basis and there is no bribery, there is no continuing offence.
"Knowing the history of this judge, I did expect to end up under investigation. I will be very strong to defend Barcelona's interests.
"There is no bribery because Enriquez Negreira is not a public official and there is no continuing offence. I can document all the payments of my tenure, which were also audited.
"From a factual point of view, we have proved it, and from a legal point of view we are proving it.
"The party accusing Barcelona of bribery or corruption cannot prove it. The sentence will be in Barcelona's favour."
Barcelona's financial situation is improving
The president also made clear that Barcelona's financial situation has dramatically improved since his board took over back in 2021.
"Financially, the club is better now than when we arrived," Laporta noted.
"We have activated some levers that allow us to be in this situation. At the moment we are presenting a budget that consolidates the stability of the club.
"Barcelona's deficit has been reduced, and it is something that is not done overnight."