Barçagate: Referee confirms pressure to fix matches from Enriquez Negreira

Barçagate 2.0 otherwise known as the "Caso Negreira" continues to rock the Spanish football scene. Following a joint statement from La Liga clubs condemning the payments made to former Technical Committee of Referees vice president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, one former referee has come out to reveal damning evidence that points to possible match fixing.

Alberto Gimenez spoke to RadioMarca and revealed that he personally experienced being pressured by Enriquez Negreira to stay quiet about how things were run during the time that they worked together. In the explosive interview, he said: "Negreira pressured me. He met me with other referees and told me: 'Hey chicken, be careful with what you say on television. You already understand me. Be careful.'"

He then went on to flat out speak about match fixing and how referees are drawn into it. "There is a formula for fixing matches. It's a fool's trap: I'm a friend of such and such who will support you, you give me so much and I'll fix it for you. If the result is negative, the money is returned. If he wins, he is marked for for life. If he loses and returns the money, he has another chance."

Apart from the whole issue between FC Barcelona and La Liga, Gimenez dropped another bombshell. This time, he shared irregularities pertaining to officiating during the 1984 UEFA Cup semi-final match that was played between Nottingham Forest and Anderlecht.

"I am aware that they bought a referee, Emilio Guruzeta. Enríquez Negreira was a linesman," he claimed.

Amid all of these accusations, Gimenez also said that Negreira talks a big game but his actual influence may not be as big as he lets it to come across to those that he deals with. "He has always boasted that he has an influence. He has sold it as though he was a leader and led the Referees Committee. And he sold it to Barcelona like that. Negreira was the self-proclaimed leader," he said.

He continued that the current salaries of the referees has made it more difficult for them to simply be paid off. He even went as far as to say that the current crop of La Liga and Segunda referees are not into such schemes.

While the investigation continues, La Liga President Javier Tebas is pressuring FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta to resign. However, he also admitted that because the last payments to Negreira that have so far been revealed were from back in 2018, the three-year statute of limitations could save the Catalan giants from facing sporting sanctions.