FC Barcelona is in the eye of a storm. The Catalans are facing allegations of bribery in a referee scandal, just as they were picking up traction on the pitch. As the La Liga side bears the brunt of intense scrutiny, their former manager, Pep Guardiola, who won a sextuple with the club, has shown his support.

Several months back, Barcelona confronted the possibility of a UEFA Champions League suspension due to a referee controversy spanning from 2010 to 2020.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola backs his former club’s crest

Barcelona is currently navigating through treacherous legal waters after being accused of bribing referees. The club’s previous management from 2010 to 2020 is facing harsh accusations. Amid this, now Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has backed his former side and insists they are innocent.

Speaking over the raid on Barcelona’s headquarters, he said, “Wait and see…let the justice, the process (run). So far what I heard…I didn’t see or read, because I’m out of that, but I didn’t see Barcelona really, really, really, really pay a referee to take a benefit.” Guardiola believes in letting the cogs of justice run and insists on waiting to give an opinion.

While acknowledging that Barcelona will be able to defend themselves, he said, “What I’m pretty sure is when Barcelona won, it was because they were better than the opponents. That I’m pretty convinced about right now – in our day. We won because we were far better than our rivals. And when they were not, they didn’t win, they lost. But justice will decide what really happened.”

Indeed, Barca fans must be happy to see their former legendary manager stand with the Blaugranes in such testing times. For now, the club must be seeking a way out of this legal quagmire. Speaking of which, let’s delve deeper to learn more about their legal situation.

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What is the latest referee scandal of FC Barcelona?

FC Barcelona is currently grappling with allegations of bribing the former Vice President of the Technical Committee of Referees, José María Enríquez Negreira. As per the judgment of the Barcelona Court of Instruction Number One, a sum of €7.5 million, or $8 million purportedly exchanged between the Catalans and Negreira.

These payments have been made over the course of 17 years. Reports from El Debate indicate the involvement of individuals including former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, Sandro Rosell, Negreira, and his son in this matter. Although the club has been formally charged, there are no immediate plans for arrests, according to information from police sources. It remains to be seen what happens at this stage.

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