The Negreira Scandal: Barça Fans Won't Like the Math

Between 2001 and 2018, FC Barcelona paid millions to José María Enríquez Negreira, then vice-president of Spain's referees' committee (CTA). Barça fans keep asking for proof it had any effect on the pitch. So, we ran the numbers.Red cards. Yellow cards. Disallowed goals. Comparing La Liga's refereeing stats with those in European competition, the gaps aren't small, they're off the charts. We also look at what happened after the payments stopped and at today's referees, practically all of whom came up through the CTA during the Negreira years. Nothing has changed. No shouting, no conspiracy theories. Just the math. Check my work.