File image of UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. He stated that Barcelona’s refereeing scandal is one of the most serious incidents he has seen in soccer
| Photo Credit: AP
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin stated that Barcelona’s refereeing scandal is one of the most serious incidents he has seen in soccer ever since he turned concerned with it.
UEFA opened a proper investigation into Barcelona final month for potential violation of the European soccer governing physique’s authorized framework concerning funds made by the membership to an organization owned by a senior refereeing official.
“I cannot comment directly on this for two reasons,” Ceferin informed Slovenian newspaper Ekipe SN in an interview printed on Monday.
“Firstly, because we have an independent disciplinary committee. And secondly, because I have not dealt with this matter in detail.
“However, I can say one thing. As far as I’m knowledgeable, the state of affairs is extraordinarily serious. So serious that it’s, in my opinion, one of the most serious (ones) in soccer since I’ve been concerned in it.”
The alleged payments of €7.3 million ($7.96 million) were made by Barcelona from 2001 to 2018 to firms owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, then-vice president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish Football Association.
“At the extent of the Spanish league, of course, the matter is out of date and can’t have aggressive penalties, whereas the proceedings are ongoing on the degree of the Spanish civil prosecutor’s workplace,” Ceferin added.
“The identical applies to UEFA, nothing is time-barred right here both.”
In a press release in February the membership denied any wrongdoing, saying it had paid an exterior marketing consultant who provided it with technical reviews associated to skilled refereeing, which it claimed was a typical apply amongst skilled soccer golf equipment.
