Coach Ancelotti wants Barca to be severely punished for referee bribery

Spain Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti wants authorities to quickly complete their investigation and find a solution regarding allegations that Barca bribed referees.

"I am worried, like the whole football world, about such a serious problem," Ancelotti said on September 29 at a press conference ahead of the eighth round of La Liga against Girona. "The law enforcement agencies are dealing with this problem and we have to let them do their job. I have been in football for 40 years and when these kinds of problems happen, everyone is worried. I hope that justice will be done to find a solution."

Coach Ancelotti at the press conference before round 8 of La Liga on September 29. Photo: realmadrid.com — Coach Ancelotti at the press conference before round 8 of La Liga on September 29. Photo: *realmadrid.com*

On August 29, Spanish newspaper El Debate reported that Barca was again accused of paying a bribe of $7.3 million to former vice president of the Council of Referees (CTA) Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Former Barca presidents Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell were both charged, along with Negreira and his son, Javier Enriquez Romero.

According to the Spanish Supreme Court, Barca violated the law prohibiting officials from receiving bonuses for performing public duties, and in this case, Negreira is considered a public employee. Negreira is said to have received the cash through a shell company set up by former Barca director Josep Contreras.

The "Negreira scandal" began to spread on February 15, when Negreira and his company DASNIL were accused of receiving nearly $8 million from Barca between 2001 and 2018 for reports and videos related to referees. Xavi - the current Barca coach - played at the top of the Camp Nou during this period, with the team winning eight La Liga and four Champions Leagues. But the Spanish coach insisted: "I know we won legally. I never felt that I won thanks to the referees."

Also at yesterday's press conference, Ancelotti praised Girona - the club leading La Liga before round eight - for having a better start than Real, Barca and Atletico Madrid. According to the Italian coach, Girona can continue to compete fairly for the leading position when they do not have to distribute their strength to the European arena. "This is the biggest problem today for big clubs, and we have to be at our best," he emphasized.

Ancelotti revealed that Antonio Rudiger has no serious problems and is ready to play, while David Alaba is definitely absent but could return for the second leg of the Champions League Group C match against Napoli next week. The 64-year-old coach said Vinicius will start after recovering from injury and playing more than 30 minutes at the end of the win over Las Palmas on September 27.

Hong Duy

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