Barça president Laporta does not consider resigning over fraud case

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has no intention of resigning as the chief executive at the Catalan soccer club. Javier Tebas, La Liga director, had called for Laporta’s resignation following the possible corruption scandal at the club. “If Laporta cannot explain this properly, I think he should resign,” Tebas said.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Laporta then bit off. “That man goes on and on with his campaign to damage the reputation of Barcelona and me,” the president said.

“It’s an obsession. He has wanted to dominate the club from a distance for years. But he knows he won’t succeed as long as I’m president here.”

According to Spanish daily El Mundo, the club has made fraudulent payments of more than 6 million euros to a company owned by the former vice president of the country’s referee commission, José Maria Enriquez Negreira, since 2001. Earlier there was talk of 1.4 million euros.

Justice came across the case through the tax authorities, which stumbled upon the payments. An investigation into possible corruption is ongoing.

The Catalan club confirmed the payments last week. Barcelona took “technical reports” on arbitration management from an “external consultant,” but that would be “a common practice for professional soccer clubs.