Gerard Pique Responds To Negreira Scandal: “We Were Superior, Did Not Depend On Referees”
Former Barcelona defender and club legend Gerard Pique has dismissed the accusations levelled at the club after the Enriquez Negreira scandal came to light.
Barcelona are understood to have made several payments to a company owned by Negreira between 2001 and 2018, when he was the Vice-President of the Referees’ Committee.
While the club have been firm on their stance that those payments were made for reports on youth footballers across Spain and referee behaviour, allegations have been made that Barcelona were paying off referees to arbitrate in their favour.
In fact, the Prosecutor’s office has charged the club, as well as two former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, with corruption for the same.
Amidst this, Pique has given his thoughts on the matter during an interview with RAC1, stating that he or none of the players were aware of any reports on referees.
“We didn’t know that the club paid this man. The players, especially those of us who have been here for more years, already know about the referees, but it’s good for the coaches, especially those who come from outside, to have these reports. As a player, I don’t know if that’s what this man’s job was.”
The former defender, who turned 36 last month, then went on to state that he was confident Barcelona were not involved in buying off referees, as he said:
“I put my hand in the fire that Barça have not bought off referees. If you want to buy a referee, it’s as easy as giving him an envelope in black. You don’t go to a vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees. There is no logic to it. We are used to conspiracies and campaigns from here on…”.
Given that the payments were made between 2001 and 2018, Pique was asked if the scandal would tarnish the image of Barcelona’s golden generation, of which he was an integral part.
But the former captain dismissed such suggestions, stating that that Barcelona team were much superior to the rest and did not depend on referees for success.
“As much as they want to tarnish it, it’s such a golden era… it’s no longer what we won but how it was won. They can review everything. We were far, far superior. We didn’t depend on the referees. I would pass over it and move on to the next. It’s true that the Public Prosecutor’s Office is involved, but I trust the club,” he said.
Pique also commented on Real Madrid taking a stance on the matter and felt that Barcelona’s arch-rivals were under pressure to do so after having stayed quiet for a long time on the Negreira case.
“All the clubs except Madrid had taken a stand against Barça, Madrid was the only one that didn’t. I understand that in the end, they are doing it, I suppose they are under a lot of pressure,” Pique stated.
