Suspicious Barcelona? The club haunted by €1.4 million in payments

One of the most iconic sports clubs in the world is once again under intense scrutiny. And the leadership of FC Barcelona certainly has a lot to explain.

Just when the club had managed to return to its former level of performance, news broke that is bound to dampen spirits inside the organization. The current leader of Spain’s La Liga, five-time Champions League winner, and 26-time Spanish champion FC Barcelona is facing serious and highly troubling accusations. According to recent findings by the radio station Cadena Ser, one of football’s most decorated clubs allegedly transferred nearly €1.4 million between 2016 and 2018 to a company named DASNIL 95 SL.

The recipient of these payments was a company owned by a man named José María Enríquez Negreira. While that name might not mean much to the average football fan, it takes on an entirely new significance when one learns that Negreira is the former vice president of the Spanish Referees’ Committee. For three years, Barcelona transferred generous sums to Negreira’s company. The club has responded to the newly released information by claiming the payments were for match reports on youth players, with the services provided by external consultants. Current Barça president Joan Laporta also emphasized that the club would defend itself legally. He further pointed out that “the timing of this news is no coincidence,” suggesting it’s a deliberate attempt to destabilize the club’s well-functioning football machine. The controversial payments were made during the presidency of Josep María Bartomeu, who has since been convicted in a separate matter.

Adding to the complexity of the case is the fact that Negreira, who served in the Referees’ Committee from 1994 until his departure in 2018, is reportedly unable to produce any documentation to substantiate the services provided. The transactions were typically labeled only as “technical advice.” The most active year of cooperation was 2017, during which his company received nearly €542,000 from Barcelona. The company DASNIL 95 SL is now being investigated by the Barcelona prosecutor's office.

Interestingly, this is the third high-profile football club in less than three months to face serious accusations or issues. At the end of November, Juventus Turin suffered consequences for mismanagement. More recently, reports emerged of alleged financial rule violations by eight-time English champion Manchester City. Now, Barcelona joins the ranks of troubled giants. According to sports analyst Jozef Tokos, such allegations in well-developed football nations are taken very seriously and are often reported by leading national newspapers.

“It’s definitely a positive sign that no matter how big these clubs are, if they break the rules, the relevant authorities take action. The systems are working, and even legendary clubs cannot just sweep things under the rug. That’s undoubtedly a good message,” Tokos told Economic Daily.

However, the case is still fresh, and more information is expected to emerge in the coming weeks. Whether this was simply a misunderstanding or something more sinister is likely only known inside the walls of the Barcelona offices. One thing is certain: this is not the kind of publicity the Camp Nou side was hoping for. In the worst-case scenario, Barcelona could even face forced relegation to the second division.