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Barca president charged with suspected bribery

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been charged with suspected bribery over payments made to companies linked to the former vice president of the refereeing committee, José María Enríquez Negreira, according to Spanish news agency EFE.

The charges relate to Laporta’s first spell in charge of the Catalan club between 2003 and 2010 after a judge ruled the latter years of that tenure should not be time-barred.

Laporta, who returned to the presidency for a second time in 2021, was not initially named as a defendant when charges for alleged bribery were filed against Barça in September.

Former presidents Josep María Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, as well as Negreira and his son, Javier Enríquez Romero, were listed among the accused.

However, the judge in charge of the case ruled on Wednesday that Laporta and his board of directors — from the time the payments were made — should be added to the probe as it is a case of continued bribery.

Therefore, the investigation period can cover the 10-year period prior to the last payment made to Negreira, which was in 2018, making the final two years of Laporta’s first tenure punishable.

Barça paid Negreira’s companies more than €7m ($7.3m) between 2001 and 2018 while he was the vice president of the refereeing committee. He had previously been a referee in the Spanish top flight.

Laporta has said the payments were for “technical reports about referees” and has repeatedly denied the club has ever “bought referees or influence.”

However, prosecutors accused Rosell and Bartomeu of having an agreement with Negreira in which “he would carry out actions aimed at favouring Barca in the decision-making of the referees in the matches played by the club and thus in the results of the competitions.”

Rosell was Barca president from 2010 to 2014 before Bartomeu replaced him. After six years at the helm of the Catalan club, Bartomeu resigned in 2020, with Laporta elected as his replacement in 2021.

Barça were originally charged with alleged corruption in sport, corruption in business, false administration and the falsification of commercial documents in March.

The bribery charges were added in September after the judge said Negreira “exercised public functions” as vice president of the refereeing committee, which equates him to a civil servant.

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Arsenal’s attempt to sign Ollie Watkins failed after Al Nassr’s decision to snub Boniface

Ollie Watkins

Arsenal’s bid to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa was impacted by Al Nassr’s decision to pursue a transfer for Jhon Duran instead of Victor Boniface.

Despite significant injuries to key players Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal failed to add a forward during the winter transfer window. Mikel Arteta had hoped to bolster his attacking options, with Watkins a potential target.

Discussions between Villa and Arsenal began after their Premier League clash on January 18, with Villa looking to sell one of Watkins or Duran due to manager Unai Emery’s difficulty in fitting both strikers into his starting lineup. Villa had been in talks with Al Nassr over a transfer for Duran and were willing to sell Watkins for £60 million.

Watkins, a boyhood Arsenal fan, was eager for the move, and the Gunners submitted an opening bid of £40 million on January 27, which was promptly rejected. Arsenal planned to make a second offer, but Al Nassr’s decision to focus on Duran over Boniface meant that the potential transfer of Watkins to Arsenal was no longer possible.

With the transfer window now closed, Arteta is left with Kai Havertz as his only forward option for the remainder of the season.

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Jose Fonte criticizes Chelsea for missing out on Osimhen

'He Can Only Leave For €75m' - Napoli Reject Official Bid For Victor Osimhen 

Former West Ham and Southampton defender Jose Fonte has voiced his disappointment over Chelsea’s failure to secure Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen during the January transfer window.

Despite being linked to the Blues since last summer, Osimhen opted for a season-long loan move to Galatasaray from Napoli.

Fonte compared Osimhen to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, believing the striker could have replicated Drogba’s success at Stamford Bridge:

“Chelsea are crying out for a striker like Victor Osimhen. He could be another Didier Drogba for them. He has pace, power, and technical quality.”

The defender, who faced Osimhen in the Champions League, described the Nigerian international as a “nightmare” for defenders:

“Once Osimhen gets into the Premier League, I think he will bully defenders. He’s aggressive, fast, clever, and powerful.”

Fonte expressed surprise that no Premier League club secured Osimhen’s signature, labeling it a “foolish” decision given his immense potential.

Chelsea’s ongoing search for a clinical striker continues to be a point of concern, with many fans and pundits echoing Fonte’s sentiments.

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Ancelotti confirms Mbappé, Bellingham, and Alaba out for Copa del Rey clash against Leganes

Madrid ‘lacked courage’ against City, says Ancelotti before rematch

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Kylian Mbappé will miss Real Madrid’s upcoming Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganes due to a bruised calf. Mbappé was injured in the weekend’s 1-0 La Liga defeat to Espanyol after a reckless challenge from Carlos Romero, who avoided a red card. The French striker trained on Monday but will not feature in Wednesday’s match.

Ancelotti also took the opportunity to continue his criticism of Spanish refereeing. Real Madrid sent a formal letter to the Spanish football federation accusing the refereeing system of being “rigged” and “completely discredited” after Romero’s challenge.

The Madrid boss reiterated his stance, emphasizing the need for an explanation regarding the failure to protect players’ welfare during the match.

In addition to Mbappé’s absence, Ancelotti confirmed that Jude Bellingham will also miss the Leganes game with a knock. The manager also announced that David Alaba, who recently returned from a knee injury, will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a thigh injury.

Alaba will miss crucial fixtures, including the La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid and the Champions League play-off clash against Manchester City.

Antonio Rudiger is another doubt for the Leganes clash due to a thigh injury, leaving Real Madrid short on defensive options. With Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal already long-term absentees, Ancelotti may have to rely on Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni as center-back partners for the upcoming matches.

Ancelotti acknowledged the difficulty of the current injury crisis, stating: “Unfortunately in the last two days we’ve lost two important players, that’s something we did not contemplate… Alaba was ready to play tomorrow, as he had good feelings.

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