Barcelona president Joan Laporta launched a stinging rebuke after “one of the most ferocious attacks in our history” as he revealed an investigation ordered by the La Liga giants into its controversial payments for refereeing reports found NO evidence of corruption.
UEFA are investigating payments made to a former vice president of Spain's referees' committee and punishment could lead to a Champions League ban. Ethics and disciplinary inspectors from the European governing body have been appointed to probe alleged payments made for favourable decisions involving the Catalan club. It is alleged that the Catalan giants paid around £7.4million to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his company Dasnil 95.
Laporta reiterated the club's payments over several years to the company owned by Negreira were only for technical reports and not to influence referees. The Camp Nou chief said he believed there were no ethics breach and that Barcelona was the victim of a campaign to hurt its reputation.
