Explosive allegations have recently rocked the world of Spanish football, implicating two prominent figures, Sandro Rosell, the former president of FC Barcelona from 2010 to 2014, and Florentino Perez, the current president of Real Madrid. These allegations revolve around alleged corrupt activities related to influencing referees in football.
During an interview with the Catalan radio station Rac1, José Manuel Villarejo, a 72-year-old former Spanish police commissioner, revealed that he had uncovered questionable practices involving Sandro Rosell in his dealings with referees. This discovery was made while he was investigating Rosell’s alleged links to the Catalan independence movement, although Villarejo ultimately concluded that Rosell was more of a lobbyist in the football world.
These accusations come in the wake of Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, his successor as FC Barcelona president from 2014 to 2020, being implicated in the Negreira case. This case involves a former referee official who allegedly received substantial payments for providing advice to the Catalan club.
José Manuel Villarejo didn’t stop there, also accusing Real Madrid and claiming that « all presidents, » including current president Florentino Pérez, engaged in similar practices. He pointed out that similar activities had already been detected at Real Madrid before the Negreira case. However, he noted that it would be nearly impossible to legally pursue Florentino Pérez, labeling him as « untouchable. »
Real Madrid swiftly responded by announcing the initiation of « corresponding legal action » in response to José Manuel Villarejo’s statements, branding these accusations as « false. » This reaction could potentially lead to a defamation lawsuit against the former police commissioner.