30 September 2023 , 06:27
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Pep Guardiola claims he will "wait before he has an opinion" after Barcelona had their headquarters searched on Thursday.
The Spanish club are under investigation after prosecutors filed a complaint back in March with UEFA now also getting involved amid claims the Catalan giants made payments to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees committee.
The alleged payments span a period of time that begins in 2001 and ends in 2018. Barcelona have denied any wrongdoing but they were still subjected to a search. Guardiola led Barcelona between 2008 - 2012, the most successful period in the club's history, but the former Barca player doesn't think their fortunes have been owing to preferential treatment from officials.
He said: “Wait and see…let the justice, the process (run). So far what I heard…I didn’t see or read, because I’m out of that, but I didn’t see Barcelona really, really, really, really pay a referee to take a benefit. I didn’t see that, I didn’t read it. That’s why I want to wait before I have an opinion, because Barcelona is going to defend what they have to do, and we will see.
“What I’m pretty sure is when Barcelona won, it was because they were better than the opponents. That I’m pretty convinced about right now – in our day. We won because we were far better than our rivals. And when they were not, they don’t win, they lose. But justice will decide what really happened.”
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While at the Nou Camp, Guardiola led Barcelona to three successive La Liga titles as well as the Champions League on two occasions. Throughout his tenure, his side played a brand of football that still has many citing them as the finest club side in history.
Barcelona have strongly denied the allegations (Adrie Puig/Getty Images)Their European Cup successes, in 2009 and 2011, did come amid controversy in semi-final wins over Chelsea and Real Madrid. Both opposition managers aired frustration with the refereeing decisions in the immediate aftermath of their respective defeats.
Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, who was at the helm when Guardiola was at the club, has claimed that the payments were for technical reports and not in any way a bribe. He said previously: "Barca have never bought referees nor influence. That was never the intention and that has to be clear. The facts contradict those that are trying to tell a different story."