Spanish Police Search RFEF Office Regarding Bribery Case That Ensnared Barcelona

Barcelona is caught in a bribery case. (Photo: Twitter/@FCBarcelona)

JAKARTA - Spanish police conducted a search at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) office on Thursday, September 28, local time. This is part of an investigation into Barcelona's millions of dollars in payment to the former vice president of the Spanish refereeing committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

This step is in the spotlight in the world of football and creates various questions about ethics and integrity in the sport.

Guardia Civil, the Spanish police agency, confirmed they had conducted a search of the referee's committee's office located at RFEF headquarters, near Madrid, as reported by the Washington Times from the Associated Press.

While no arrests were made in the search, this action was carried out under orders from judge Joaquin Aguirre, who is investigating the case for a trial in Barcelona.

In March, state prosecutors officially accused Barcelona of being involved in corruption cases in sports, fraudulent management, and falsifying company documents. Prosecutors charged that the Spanish La Liga giant had paid Negreira, a former referee who had been part of the RFEF referee committee from 1994 to 2018.

Barcelona reportedly paid 7.3 million euros (equivalent to Rp114 billion) which was given from 2001 to 2018.

In addition, on Thursday, judge Aguirre officially added new allegations in this investigation. He stated that there are strong indications that bribery occurred between Barcelona and Negreira. These allegations of bribery replaced previous allegations related to corruption in sports.

This search came as another blow to the world of Spanish football after the RFEF was hit by a sexism scandal. Former RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed a female player on his lips without consent during the Women's World Cup trophy last month.

The action sparked widespread criticism from various parties.