Former Barcelona president hits out at Real Madrid over Negreira case allegations: ‘It’s a lie’

Barcelona and the Negreira scandal, at this point, has become one of the favourite talking points on Spanish media, especially given how there are always developments in the case that is now in court.

Over the past few months, several former Barcelona presidents, coaches, and other influential names have been called to testify and speak on the alleged payments made to ‘buy’ results in the Catalans’ favour.

Most recently, the president of Barcelona between 2000 and 2003, Joan Gaspart, was summoned by the court to provide testimony, which he delivered on Friday.

Former president reveals his statement

Speaking to the media after delivering his statement to the court earlier today, Gaspart hit out at Real Madrid for escalating the matter unnecessarily and damaging the sport.

“I think they are doing, unintentionally, a lot of damage to football. No longer to Barça, to football.”

Elaborating on what his statement inside the court comprised of, the former club president stood firm by the fact that Barcelona never bought referees at any point in time including under his presidency.

“It’s a lie. And I have repeated the word lie 33 times. Barcelona has never, neither in the time when I was vice president nor president, bought referees. [Under] Laporta, Bartomeu, Rosell, and all Barça executives.”

“I have said it with complete clarity, until the judge herself has agreed with me and has told me that you had already said it several times. But I wanted to repeat it,” he added, on how he made his case.

Real Madrid have been dragging the Negreira case investigations against Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Calling out all the unjust hatred that the club is facing for a crime that was never committed, Gaspart said,

“It is false that Barça is accused of having committed an illegality. Paying someone to tell the referee to pay the collegiate to win my Barcelona is a lie, and when it’s a lie it’s a lie.”

When asked again by the media if he was that such a transaction never gone through when he was the president, he was outraged and said,

“Barça has never, since Mr. Gamper founded it, until I die, because after that I will not be there and I will not be able to say, committed an illegality.”

“And buying a referee to favour you is illegal. I don’t understand why they want people to believe that,” he added.

Detailing further on the convincing points he made in court, he spoke on how it is virtually impossible for football to be fixed and corrupt.

“Do you think that, with people dying of heart attacks because they suffer on the fields, imagine if they knew that football was corrupt…? Please.”

“I, president of Barcelona, would I have left Barça when they took away my handkerchiefs? I would be an idiot if I could buy games. You’d have to be foolish,” he added.

Finally, he called for a better understanding of the situation and spoke about how it was very unfair what Barcelona were going through.

“It’s so cruel what is being done, and not only with Barcelona. I just came from China and he asks me what’s going on, because they don’t go into details, and the club is being accused.”

“Football is not corrupt, and they would charge it if people thought about it,” he added.

Source: MARCA

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