Judicial authorities in Spain are gathering evidence that the entire dominant run of Barcelona was aided and promoted by seven million Euros paid to the vice president of Spain's refereeing division.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38510081/barcelona-probed-suspected-bribery-ref-case-report

Mike

Michael Falkner wrote:

> Judicial authorities in Spain are gathering evidence that the entire
> dominant run of Barcelona was aided and promoted by seven million Euros
> paid to the vice president of Spain's refereeing division.

Not just Spanish referees either I'd say. Does anyone remember that bald
Norwegian dude Tom Henning Ovrebo? If he wasn't paid off by Barcelona
and/or UEFA then nobody was! Too make that many big mistakes is either
very unlucky or very dodgy. I go with the latter.

FC Barcelona are going nowhere though... if they was a small club they
might be in trouble, but the name Barcelona is enough to keep them in
business.

In article <c591e34a-e6d8-486f-a0d7-3220287da0f9n@googlegroups.com>,
Michael Falkner <darkstar7646@gmail.com> wrote:
>Judicial authorities in Spain are gathering evidence that the entire
>dominant run of Barcelona was aided and promoted by seven million Euros
>paid to the vice president of Spain's refereeing division.
>
>https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38510081/barcelona-probed-suspected-bribery-ref-case-report
>
>Mike

End them!
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On Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 12:41:26 PM UTC-7, Blueshirt wrote:

> FC Barcelona are going nowhere though... if they was a small club they
> might be in trouble, but the name Barcelona is enough to keep them in
> business.

I dunno. You're now not only talking financial improprieties for the better part of their top run, but paying off the domestic referees on top of it.

Mike

On Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 10:16:05 PM UTC+3, Michael Falkner wrote:
> Judicial authorities in Spain are gathering evidence that the entire dominant run of Barcelona was aided and promoted by seven million Euros paid to the vice president of Spain's refereeing division.
>
> https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38510081/barcelona-probed-suspected-bribery-ref-case-report
>
> Mike

If you ask me, 7 million in 18 years doesn't sound like that much, at this level. About 400,000 a year. Pocket money for Messi. I'd imagine much more would be needed for actually paying refs so that they favor you significantly.
Besides, I understand this is just in Spain. Now, IIRC in that period Barca would have hardly needed special treatment against anybody else in Spain than Real. And I find it very difficult to swallow that somehow Barca's influence over the refs in Spain was bigger that Real's. They must have had their connections too and would have known if something fishy was going on against them.

I'd also ask if this thing with the "technical reports about refs" is something that only Barca did. If so, then indeed it seems strange. If others do it too then I don't see the problem.
Of course anything is possible but right now my guess would be this is going nowhere.

On Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 10:15:40 PM UTC+3, FF wrote:
> On Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 10:16:05 PM UTC+3, Michael Falkner wrote:
> > Judicial authorities in Spain are gathering evidence that the entire dominant run of Barcelona was aided and promoted by seven million Euros paid to the vice president of Spain's refereeing division.
> >
> > https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38510081/barcelona-probed-suspected-bribery-ref-case-report
> >
> > Mike
> If you ask me, 7 million in 18 years doesn't sound like that much, at this level. About 400,000 a year. Pocket money for Messi. I'd imagine much more would be needed for actually paying refs so that they favor you significantly.
> Besides, I understand this is just in Spain. Now, IIRC in that period Barca would have hardly needed special treatment against anybody else in Spain than Real. And I find it very difficult to swallow that somehow Barca's influence over the refs in Spain was bigger that Real's. They must have had their connections too and would have known if something fishy was going on against them.
>
> I'd also ask if this thing with the "technical reports about refs" is something that only Barca did. If so, then indeed it seems strange. If others do it too then I don't see the problem.
> Of course anything is possible but right now my guess would be this is going nowhere.

Besides, I've thought a little more about it and I don't trust it for a few other reasons. 1. It's too late. The period of interest is until 2012, after that Barca weren't dominant in Spain any more. So it's more than 10 years ago. Barca did it in plain sight, why didn't they step in before ? And 2. It could very well be politically motivated, with Catalonia's independence quest and their accusations of corruption towards the rest of Spain (which of course are true). So I really wouldn't know if I can trust the spanish state more than Barca on this one.