Bartomeu: “I cut Negreira and Laporta quadrupled his salary”

The former president of Barcelona launched a direct attack on Juan Laporta, Josep Maria Bartomeuaccusing him of the case of the payment of 1.4 million euros to a company of the former referee and technical vice-president of the referees of the Spanish Football Federation, José María Enriquez Negreira.

The former administrative leader of the “Blaugrana”, explained the relationship he had with him Negreiraemphasizing that while he made the decision to cut him off, o Laporta he quadrupled his salary, something for which he owes an explanation.

What the former president of Barcelona said in detail:



About the infamous fax with which Negreira threatened the “Blaugrana”: “I remember it coming to me, but I didn’t pay attention. I immediately sent this to the club’s legal advisers and was never heard from again.

I never met Mr. Negreira. This fax is from 2019, but in March and April 2018 when we broke the partnership that Barcelona had with his company he called me, telling me that we are playing with his family’s money.

In 2018, a period of cuts began. Pep Segura, then general manager of the club, and Oscar Grau, general manager, told me that this service was costing a lot of money and it was decided to discontinue it..

On his relationship with Negreira: “I was the one who broke off this partnership. I have no relation to Mr. Negreira and have never met him. We will have met at some point in the Federation, but all we exchanged was a greeting,” he said, then referred to the start of Negreira’s cooperation with the club again and the salary increase.

This contract had already been made since the time of Núñez, Gaspar and Laporta. They didn’t even look at the invoices. When Laporta arrived at the club the invoices were close to €150,000 and when Sandro was appointed president it was well over half a million euros. All I can say is that I cut Negreira and Laporta quadrupled his salary, he should explain that.”.