B
arcelona's recent calm has been disrupted by another controversy, this time involving payments made to a real estate company called Best Norton SL. The national police are investigating €180k paid to the company in 2007 and 2010, which Barcelona claims it cannot explain due to the passage of time. To clarify the matter, the authorities are seeking access to Best Norton's financial records.

    This development comes as part of a broader investigation into Barcelona's dealings with former Vice-President of the Referees Committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. The club paid €7.5m to two companies owned by Negreira over 17 years for alleged consultancy fees, but law enforcement has yet to verify the services provided or where the money went.

    The police are also looking into whether Barcelona's payments to Best Norton were legitimate, and the club is cooperating with the investigation. While no evidence of match-fixing has been found, Barcelona is still under scrutiny for potential sporting corruption and bribery of a public official.