The president of FC Barcelona, ??Joan Laporta, has not taken even 24 hours to give his response to the accusation against him by Judge Joaquín Aguirre, who is investigating the Negreira case. The instructor considers that during Laporta’s first term there may have been bribery. Something that the current president flatly denies in an interview on Catalunya Ràdio. “I disagree. “I think there is no basis for bribery or continued crime,” said Laporta, “serene, strong and full of arguments.”
Laporta wanted to reassure the Barcelona members. “The culés can be calm. Barça has not taken advantage of anything. “This case will result in an acquittal,” he predicted. “From the technical and legal point of view of the case, we will see if it goes to trial,” he insisted on the lack of evidence. “They will not be able to prove that referees were bought because it is not true.” .
According to the Blaugrana president, the role of the investigating judge is going too far. “Knowing the history of this judge, we knew that it was possible that I would end up under investigation,” he said. And he reasoned it like this. “It is quite strange that an investigating judge qualifies the facts, that corresponds to the accusation, to the Prosecutor’s Office, which considers it sports corruption,” he recalled.
Furthermore, Laporta accuses Judge Aguirre of having made a mistake. “From a legal point of view there is no bribery here because Mr. Enríquez Negreira was not a public official. Criminal types cannot be forced like this,” he snapped.
The president of FC Barcelona believes that the Negreira case is part of an external campaign instigated to “control and destabilize” the club. “Barça is suffering an organized and fierce campaign. There is a sociological Madridismo that is very strong. I have already fought against him and won. They are afraid that it will happen again. I am the same president of what was surely the best Barça in history. It makes them panic,” he said.
Once again, Laporta gave the arguments of the official defense. “We have never denied that we pay for technical arbitration services. We presented 629 reports and 42 CDs and that only corresponded to three seasons. In my time, payments were made through transfers and invoices. We can justify all the expenses,” he stated, although he tried not to refer to other efforts. Of course, he insists that it was paid “at market price.”
The president also gave his version of the accusation of former commissioner Villarejo in Rac1 in which he was accused of giving information about Sandro Rosell. “I have already filed a rectification lawsuit against Villarejo and if he does not do so I will have to file a criminal complaint,” he announced. And he revealed that he called the former president, who was vice president at the beginning of his first term. “I called him to meet up. It’s a bit scary to look at someone’s face and see if I’m lying. I do not lie. “He knows that it is not true (what Villarejo says),” he added.
The possible return of Leo Messi was another of the topics discussed on Catalunya Ràdio. Barça has not considered a loan this winter, but the two parties are in talks for the tribute match. “We proposed to Leo to return at the beginning of the season. He told us what he thought and that he preferred to go to Miami, where he wouldn’t have so much pressure and could focus on the national team. We focus on giving a great tribute.” That match, they agree, should be at the Camp Nou. This is how it has been spoken. “The premiere of Spotify Camp Nou will be in June 2026, which is when it will be finished. But first we will return in November 2024. It could be an important date,” he explained.
Finally, Laporta explained that Barcelona will request the 2030 World Cup final, although there has also been talk of a possible inauguration. “We will be the largest capacity field, with 105,000 seats. But the power centers of the capital are very Madrid-oriented. We will ask for it because the course and the event deserve it. I would take it for granted that we will have a semi-final and that we will fight for the final.”
