LaLiga President willing to deduct points or relegate Barcelona for Bribery charges

Tebas wants to see Barcelona docked points or relegated from LaLiga following recent bribery charges against the club

LaLiga big wig Javier Tebas has claimed he would be looking for courts to deduct points from Barcelona or relegate the club to the lower leagues if they are found guilty of alleged bribery charges. 

Tebas critical of Barcelona after latest charges

Barcelona have been charged with alleged bribery of officials following charges of corruption in sports that have already been brought against the Catalans, and the president of LaLiga has spoken about the accusations brought against the league’s reigning champions. 

Speaking at a La Liga social impact event, Tebas was asked about the charges that the league was looking to indict Barcelona on, when he said, “I have to see the argument regarding Barcelona’s accusation of bribery. Bribery is when a crime is committed against a public official. Maybe they consider that the referees… I don’t know, I have to legally assess it as a lawyer.”

The administrator also lamented the lack of effort from other teams in the league in helping to prosecute Barcelona, saying, “It should be noted that we are practically the only private accusation that is providing impetus to the Negreira issue, a lot is said by certain ‘representatives’ of the Negreira issue that LaLiga.

“We are the only ones who are contributing written evidence, contributing our knowledge of the sector to help. There are others who are in the private accusation, such as Real Madrid, which made the document of appearance and a document preventing it from being removed from the private accusation that Bartomeu requested… And has not done anything else.”

“Although it seems that his spokespeople are very interested, he has not done anything else. “We are here and this charge almost certainly comes as a consequence of some writings that LaLiga made.”

Tebas looking for stiff punishments against Barcelona

Tebas also noted that the league and courts would continue to do everything in their power to investigate the full extent of Barcelona’s culpability, as he already felt they were guilty of at least some wrongdoing. 

“In this case, we must continue investigating to clarify the level of influence that Negreira had on promotions and relegations [of referees], which in my opinion, he had a lot, said Tebas, before continuing, “But the mere fact of trying to influence him is punishable in the criminal field, it is already sports corruption. I am not pointing at one director or another, I am saying that we have to continue investigating. Four different directors paying Negreira is very serious. And the reputational damage, very high.”

The LaLiga president finally noted that he would be in favour of appropriate punishments being taken against Barcelona, including docking of points and possible relegation to a lower division. 

“It is not our responsibility, but I think it is an appropriate measure [docking points], Tebas said, continuing, “Having that in the disciplinary system. We have to have a system of subtracting points, we are one of the few countries that does not have that measure.”

“There are indications of totally irregular payments that should not have been made to the vice-president of the referees. It will have to be clarified if that was the intention.”

Barcelona are yet to comment on the recent bribery charges but have claimed innocence in the case of corruption in sports. 

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