Barcelona has been charged with bribery for allegedly paying €7 million to companies linked with former vice president of the refereeing committee, José María Enríquez Negreira and his son, Javier Enríquez Romero.
According to Spanish news agency, EFE, judicial sources confirmed the development, adding that former Barça presidents, Josep María Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell also stand accused of the same charges.
The La Liga side had previously been charged with alleged corruption in sports, corruption in business, false administration and the falsification of commercial documents.
Police also searched the referees’ office at the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] in Madrid on Thursday, to retrieve documentation in relation to the case.
A complaint was lodged by prosecutors in March against Barça, their former presidents and the Negreira in March. These bribery charges could now speed up a process that has been ongoing since February when the payments were first revealed.
