Spanish police raid soccer federation as part of probe into Barcelona’s payments to referee official

By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish police have raided offices of the country’s soccer federation as part of an investigation into the payment of millions of dollars over several years by Barcelona to a former vice president of Spain’s refereeing committee. The Guardia Civil says its police have searched the offices of the refereeing committee at federation headquarters near Madrid. No arrests have been made. State prosecutors say the club paid a former referee who was a part of the federation’s refereeing committee $7.7 million from 2001-18. Barcelona has denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest.