Barca fixed matches – the evidence from former Barca VP, (but why are the UK press silent?)

Posted on by WalterBroeckx

By Walter Broeckx

Now I must admit that my Spanish/Catalan is not that great so would appreciate it if somebody could translate this interview that was made by the Spanish TV channel La Sexta where Mr. Alfons Godall former vice-president of Barcelona talked about a few things. The video should be available over here:

Unless Barcelona has been able to block this one by now because it seems that they have tried to get get them off line.

I have been trying to find something in the “serious” media but well it does look as if the word is : shut up about it. If you type in “barcagate” you get not that many hits from the “serious” media. And if you type Godall you get nothing about Barcelona almost and if you type Alfons Godall you can only find links to well not really serious media.

But I did find a link to a German side that reported about the interview. And as I hope that they are a bit unbiased I will try to stick to what they wrote and translate it from German to English as this is something I can do without any problem.

So the point is that the former leaders of Barcelona are attacking the current leaders and are criticizing  them because in their opinion the Barcelona of their reign (Laporta reign) was better and more successful than nowadays. And if you look at La Liga they could be right (13 points behind the leaders as we publish this). But apparently Godall in his eager to show how clever Laporta et al were he has said something that well is rather surprising. Well for some but for many of us here on Untold it is not that surprising.

So Godall said: We have had a good ten years behind us when it comes to relations with the Spanish FA where things are cooked in the referee committee. Laporta has worked intensively and with intent on the connections with the institutes and also with Uefa and Fifa and this has been a great help.

When the reporter then asked : “Could this now mean that it could work against Barcelona for example when it comes down to referee decisions?” the answer from Godall was: “Without any doubt”.

Now let me spell this out, and still I can only work with the translation in German I found from this interview, this is in fact saying that Barcelona under Laporta has worked hard to improve the relations with not just the Spanish Liga and their refs (I couldn’t be bothered about that ) but also with Uefa (Champions League) and Fifa (presumably on the issue of who was selected for internationals, on the World cup for teams and so on…)

As you know we have been talking about calciopoli as it happened in Italy. The system where some clubs used their influence to get their preferred refs for their own games and to get other refs for their rivals. Refs from which they knew would not be as favourable for those teams – all rewarded by occasional loans of the city mansion, or the villa by the lakes.

But this goes further: this former vice president is talking about getting decisions in the games in Barca’s favour. This is going one step further then calciopoli. In fact this is almost literally admitting that they have made contact with the authorities in order to get the decisions on the field from the refs.  And now they are not (witness for example Gerard Pique’s dismissal last weekend against Sporting Gijon.

And if you then think back at the Chelsea-Barcelona game. The one where the ref refused to give penalties for Chelsea.  Yes some of them were dives so he was correct, but some of his decisions were outrageous. We can also think about the Busacca-moment last year where the ref send off RVP when we looked to go further over the two games.

So maybe our friend Mr. Alfons Godall, in his hurry to be critical for the new Barcelona presidency, has said a bit too much.  And apparently the current board is not doing enough to (why don’t we say it like it is) buy referees.

I know some people have been critical of our stance that there is something rotten in the football world. Some people have said : give us evidence give us proof.  And as we have provided a range of evidence in numerous articles on the Corruption site.

Also we can see that referees are not doing very well in terms of getting things right, and we can see that the actions of the association that handles referee affairs are, well, strange.   But that’s not enough for everyone.  So now we have a public confession from some one who was in the Barcelona board. Is this good enough evidence? Is this enough proof?  Undoubtedly from the complete disbelievers no, but when you put it with all the other evidence, then things do add up.

So next time we over here say that we think there is something rotten you could think of this slip of the tongue of the former Barcelona vice president. It is clear there is something rotten and it is clear that is helps to be rotten. He admitted it himself that it has helped them in the past.

So is it any coincidence that from this season on Barcelona are having more problems in La Liga and are way behind Real Madrid? If even Barcelona the best team in the world cannot fight against refs all the time how can we expect us to overcome the refs all the time? Now I don’t watch Spanish football any more but I have heard that when looking back at the ref decisions (and in fact the wrong ref decisions) they are saying that Barcelona has lost more than 10 points from bad calls this season.

So it does have a big influence if you are in the system and have your friends in the system or not.

Looking at things it does look that Barcelona has lost their grip in Spanish football and have they lost their grip on European football? Have they lost their grip yet on Busacca?

And if we then think about the fact that Wenger and Platini have a long tradition of fighting each other with words you just have to wonder where the terrible decision making in Arsenal games comes from? Is it because of the top man are not on your side? They are on Barcelona’s side?  (According to Godall they certainly were). And looking at the evidence they sure got the benefit in some strange decisions.

And it is crystal clear that despite Arsenal being the only club that is  really in favour of the FFP rules, we surely are not the favourite of the big guns like Platini and the big referee guns like Busacca.

And as if this wasn’t enough I finally want to talk about the most scary part of it all. The deafening silence of the serious media in all this. Where are Sky? Where is The Sun, The Mail, The God Knows What Other Paper or TV Station?  How come they do as if nothing has been said? How come that they pretend nothing is wrong?

So more and more we get the impression that there is not just something wrong with the referees and the top of Uefa and football federations. No there seems to be some kind of Omertà going on. The media is not willing to lift the lid of this possible corruption. They prefer to ignore it almost completely. So the code of silence is not just in football circles like I have said it before. No from now on we can also say that the media is also on the side of those who like to keep the silence and protect their paymasters. And as disgusting as the buying of refs is, it is also disgusting that when one person breaks the code the media comes to help them and keeps the Omertà intact.

Another reason once more for people like us over here to highlight such things.  And we will not follow the code of silence, you can be sure about that.

How much influence can referee decisions have on matches?

Tottenham 5 Newcastle 0 – ref shows complete ignorance of the rules

Arsenal v Milan – just how biased can one referee be?

Uefa charged with bringing the game into disrepute

Milan v Arsenal – a case of clear robbery

 

 

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47 Replies to “Barca fixed matches – the evidence from former Barca VP, (but why are the UK press silent?)”

  2. Brilliant and brave as always! I love you guys for taking up this unpopular and controversial suject. There is no doubt in my mind that football world suffers deep-rooted corruption but everyone is too scared to bring it up. As to media, dominated by the likes of ruppert Murdoch, we should not be surprised. “money is the root of all evil”. It is a valliant thing to upkeep the true values and that is why you guys are the shining light in the darkness, no kidding. Truth will prevail.

  3. I have always said they were corrupt. What about 2006 CL final when Lehman was sent off at such an early stage and the refereeing decisions against RvP it’s a disgrace

  5. And a scary thing I didn’t mention in the article is the question: WHAT ARE OTHER TEAMS DOING THAT WE DON’T KNOW?

  6. The reason why they do not report it over here because it goes on over here. Teams like Mancity and Chelsea with money to burn. Man U get decisions also

  8. Great article that only reinforces what most Gooners have known for some time. It should also be noted that Massimo Busacca was given a massive promotion to Head of Referees the summer following his mysterious red-card dismissal of RvP against Barca which as we all know, was ‘the’ turning point in that Champions League tie as Barca was 30 minutes from being knocked out at the time of that red-card incident.

  9. Interesting. I could be wrong, but think that article was first shown in La Marca, a known Real mouthpiece, but that aside, it raises some very disturbing points. And a lack of Barca suing anyone is perhaps telling. Is this man a loose cannon, is he misquoted or telling thr truth?
    Barca have had some strange decisions,we seem to be the polar opposite in the nature of their decisions. Strange thing is, a team as good as they are,odd they would risk such things.
    If Real are really getting the upper hand, it would suggest to me that if this going on, they have been even more adept than Barca at managing refs and football bodies. With Jose involved, this would come as no surprise.
    As for the media silence, maybe it comes from the fact that they know that of all the teams worldwide, the two Spanish giants truely are untouchable??
    As for Platini, not sure he is currupt, just wrapped up in his agenda to take power from the English clubs

  10. Walter, I am unable to post the second link as the site says it’s duplicate. But you can find it on yahoo sports.

  11. Mandy Dodd,
    When assessing him, please factor in that Platini has already announced for adopting goal line technology as the red herring to divert from the rising chorus for video replay. This when there’s already both forms (when they’re not censored), within ten seconds, on any TV broadcast. I don’t see this aspect at least as taking away from English football as a move to continue unchallenged centralized control over the pitch by the central powers that be.

  13. RvP was sent off against barca for NOTHING wrong. For me, that’s bribery involved.

  14. think you may well be right on that Bob, I just feel FFP is his instrument to blunt certain English clubs who, if unchecked could have the resources to really clean up. (As could PSG) But yes, Platini is a man of contradictions and is as such, difficult to properly assess from a distance. Whatever he is or is not, we fare badly under his organisation, just as we do at home under the EPL/ FA/ PGMOL / SKY. Anyone would think we are a threat to somebody!

  16. Barcaidiot,
    Cheers for the link to English translation.
    As the Govna states: “something is going on,” Indeed, and from one who knows whereof he speaks.

  19. Its all because of money/betting, in the end they always win and everybody else looses their money one way or they other.

    figure it out guys.

  20. watch illuminati in sports guys on you tube 🙂

    its all fixed and rigged just like Wrestling 🙂

    we all know wrestling is fake But then WHY is it still so popular and why do so many people still watch it and folllow it ???????

    The answer is simple if your wise enough to figure it out…….

  21. “The deafening silence of the serious media in all this. Where are …? How come they do as if nothing has been said? How come that they pretend nothing is wrong?”

    My guess — this is how fortunes and livelihoods are made. You don’t rely on this activity (arsenal untold, ref review, etc) to feed yourself and your family. Try getting paid for writing about sports, politics, business and writing about what you see before your eyes, and you will live a pauper’s existence. You wouldn’t *ever* get in front of a television camera — how many millions do Sky & Co pay to FIFA the EPL La Liga… every single year? And they make millions themselves from having paid that money. That would be a sterling example of biting the hand that feeds you.

    So, accept that the “serious” media are lapdogs, well trained not to bite, and know that the omerta you face is real, is itself unspoken of, and mostly instinctual. Just don’t hope to do anything about it.

    And keep up the good work.

    PS — and when you do prove that they’re all bent, after all is said and done, there will be a whitewahs, like the NBA did in the USA when its referees were shown (much the same way you are doing it) to be bent as hell:

    http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20081003_Report_confirms_Donaghy_was_the_only_corrupt_referee__clears_NBA.html

    Pick your ‘favourite’ ref and place a wager on his being singled out… Irony in the service of fair play.

  22. A very curious interview, Guardiola was interviewed this morning in El País where he defends himself against Mourinho’s subtle attack on him in his last press conference. The famous “porque” conference last year from Mourinho certainly got under their skins, not to be forgotten that Mourinho worked for them a number of years, not that he is averse to this kind of thing himself…in the league Barça have been kept alive by Messi and even withbhim they are ten points back, without him they become ordinary at the moment though they have got injuries to key personnel. He is extraordinary and plays every game and is never substituted. They say Pepe is under severe stress and may ask for a sabbatical for a year…

  23. Nickfromportugal,
    Would you tell what happened at the “porque” press conference for those of us who missed it?

  24. And this is a surprise? Am really not. One only has to look to RVP send-off last CL to see the evidence, and the constant award of free kicks and yellow card every time a Barca layer rolls on the pitch.

  25. sorry for the late moderation but I was out doing my own match and I think the others were just enjoying the first day of spring.. well over here it is 😉

  26. I hate to bring an Anti-Arsenal slant to this but what exactly do people think David Dein used to do at the FA?
    Now I’m not suggesting that we ever participated in ref picking but I would think we clearly had a lot more influence over the FA, coincidentally between 1998 & 2004.
    Leaving out and out corruption aside for a moment, there is always going to be a coincidence of interest if you have lots of homegrown players in a successful team. That worked for Manchester United in the 1990s, for us with the famous back four/five and it really works for Barca.

  27. UmustBjoking,
    right, and when the fans – that is, if/when enough of the fans – care enough to demand/boycott fair play for their sides and a better product, the Golem will reform itself in order to save itself as a Cash Cow. That, mate, will still yield a better result on the field than what we now have. You would likely say it’ll be a cold day in hell before enough fans make that demand. But, then again, neither you nor I can know whether enough (and I don’t mean even 50 percent) of the fans might one day do just that. If enough fans see through the 92.3 percenters, that’s a start. And if enough fans see through the next major fix. And if enough fans see through the first major expose of an EPL match fix – whoever the whistle blower- that would spark a Hearing and national scandal. So, though you are worldwise, the world has enough randomness to surprise anyone, even you and I.

  28. Woolwich,
    Do you mean coincidence of interests or co-incidence, and if the latter, would you mean conspiracy of interests? And if you do, then should we not be consistent in repudiating it across the board? I think you are saying so. Or, are you saying that when it suits our purposes we should turn ye old blind eye and go quiet? Are you saying this? Are you saying that this is what happened under Dein the Elder? And, if so, what exactly did this non-saintly man do and on what evidence?

  29. There can be little doubt that teams like Barcelona are presently above the law of their land. Their power over those who run the game as well as individual referees is now so great that wholesale corruption is the norm.
    Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
    What can be done to bring back at least a modicum of sanity, truth and fairness to the game?
    The media can play its part provided reporting is unbiased. The introduction of FFPR if rigidly applied will help in some regard.
    Most important of all will be the advent of technical assistance by way of video etc to remove referee bias. Added public pressure will eventually force FIFA to act but it will take time. Good will always prevail over evil. Those who corrupt what is basically a world-wide SPORT must accept that their days are numbered.

  30. Bob,
    Take Rooney as an example. Tackling him is practically forbidden because the England setup relies on him and no EPL player can be allowed to risk injuring him.
    If you consider the Barca example, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Pique – all key components in the Spain side, all protected by Liga referees.
    Dein making sure Seaman was protected at corners and set pieces benefits Arsenal and England.
    I can’t explain Theo, referees should be giving him Rooney levels of protection but he gets lumps kicked out of him on a regular basis.

  31. Woolwich,
    Thanks for offering those examples. I can definitely see the tie-ins you mean. As to their chronic manhandling of Theo, do you think he’s their designated target, exhibit A (for Arsenal): that is, he’s chosen to send a coded message to any serious English talent that wants to develop at AFC?: That is, get out of Wenger’s AFC and you’ll then and only then be properly cared for as a proper English asset (a la Rooney)? I realize that this message-hypothesis of mine would also have to extend to Wilshere, Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain to hold any water, but I’d be interested in any of your further thoughts on Theo’s mistreatment.

  32. Woolwich, all,
    I wonder literally how The Message to NOT injure Rooney gets passed along to the players. That would be an onion worth peeling and weeping over, if one could.

  33. Bob,
    interesting you mentioned Wilshere, he got away with some blatant foul play last season, right about the time he established himself as an English international.
    I think the Theo thing has to do with his lack of utility to an England manager and his comparative lack of experience. Jack Wilshere was being coached by a youth setup prioritising technique and footballing intelligence from age 9. Theo started at 14.

  34. The sad thing is that this comes as no surprise. Neither the statements themselves, nor the wall of silence about it. They were also silent about the implications of he Channel 4 documentary and Bryan Robson remains ManU’s global ambassador (which I think says a lot about that club as well). I’m not saying that either these claims, or the ones made by channel 4 are conclusive in any way, but surely they deserve mention, and a look at the possible implications of it. But of course, we are supposed to believe that fixing and corruption is only happening in China, Eastern Europe, Russia, Italy and virtually every league in the world except the leagues with the most money. Yes, of course that’s the truth because the mainstream media don’t even countenance the possibility of it being the more logical outcome.

    Also, when it comes to the talk of Platini and Blatter etc, I’m very sceptical about making it a personal thing. I mean Platini might hate English clubs or he may not, he may hate Wenger or he may not (more likely it’s not as black or white as that), but in any case I look to the people behind the ones in power. I think UEFA’s workings are beyond being based on the personal likes or dislikes of Platini. His feelings might play a small part, but I’m not sure either way he’ll have much room for manoeuvre.

    I also agree with Woolwich about Dein’s influence. I don’t think that Arsenal got any special favours from the FA (though of course I won’t think that, especially when looking back) but Dein was head of the G14-the biggest clubs in Europe, and he was talked about as a possible head of FA at one point. He obviously has some powerful backers and/or is a brilliant self promoter. What he brought to Arsenal EXACTLY, I guess we won’t know. I’m also not sure his influence was entirely positive. People with noses in high corridors of power are rarely ‘clean’. Question is, how much of a trade-off are Arsenal prepared to make. I don’t know the answer to that. Not even about my own feelings on it.

  35. Just watching MOTD highlights.. I guess it should come as no surprise either, but I’d definitely say ManU are going to be pushed to the title by the referee decisions. The only surprise is that MOTD helped me form that opinion of the match.

  36. Nice one Walter – lets see how this can of worms hit the fan !
    As for the coincidence factor brought up here ,there’s a old saying (which I ‘ve mentioned here before ),”Coincidence when traced back far enough becomes the inevitable “.
    My explanation for the decline of Barkalone & Man Shitty is that they have been infected by a malaise inducing virus (Arsenalitis Boring-boring )transmited by their recent buys from us (Cesc ;Nasri and Clichy ).By ” coincidence “, their removal and with an August Panic-buy infusion the club itself is well on the way to recovery to a state of gunghoness.
    Earlier studies on Jeffers ,Wright ,Inamoto , Taylor et al were inconclusive.More promising are the on going Helb ,Flamini & Betdner research.

  37. @Brickfields,
    Post of the year contender there!

    @Shard,
    Dein’s influence could have been as benign as suggesting that Arsenal players would be unavailable for England games due to injury if they weren’t properly protected by referees (delivered as a threat rather than a warning). We know full well that Ferguson’s players often pick up mysterious injuries around the time of international friendlies.
    Our side has frequently been good enough not to need ‘help’ from referees to beat any opponent, merely that the referee doesn’t actively aid the other team. With no bargaining chips we’ve been penalised by others with a better deal on the table.

  38. @ Shard, when I saw the clip with protesters saying ‘Liverpool Mafia Out’ I thought at first they were referring to Hansen and Lawro on MoTD.

    It’s an absolute disgrace that Man U might win the league again. All the penalties given and in the case of the opposition, not given, red cards, yellow cards, free kicks and beneficial fixture scheduling have worked again. Man U’s natural position is about 6th or 7th with the squad they have. There is no way that this is the best league in the world, this is rubbish. It is not an accident that Man U were shown up yet again in Europe on Thursday, where their influence does’nt stretch far enough.

    Talk about being ‘to big to fail’, Man U sitting on top makes the premier league look like a laughing stock. Roy Hodgson is a good manager and West Brom could of beaten or drawn against Man U yesterday, but they like others are not allowed to win.

  39. EPL speak: Lesson one:
    “too big to fail ( = 1 team)” / “too small to succeed” (all the rest, the one team)

  41. You might as well ask why Arsene Wenger was silent about French football being corrupt for several years if you’re going to ask about the Press not going crazy about it.

    There are only three possibilities:
    1. They don’t have the smoking gun so they won’t commit professional suicide by making allegations they can’t make stick (this was presumably Wenger’s justification).
    2. It’s part of the deal of getting free tickets at games that they don’t raise it.
    3. They are active participants in it.

    Given that a former employer of mine seemed to think that I could fix Arsenal games by my writing (if I can, I’ve no knowledge of that and I’ve never written anything with the intention of fixing anything, although I’ve written a few Arsenal football songs which do appear to have altered history/presaged the future in some small way) and given that that former employer lived in Harrogate, the same place where Skybet is based, you can see why my suspicions might be roused as to the possibilities of point 3. I don’t have any proof of it though…….

    You might as well ask why France were so lamentable at the World Cup in 2010. Nothing to do with me writing a little ditty for a theoretical England-France encounter, including the line ‘he thinks this time the French are shite, he went to watch his mates in white!’, was it? That was used by the Scottish mafia to favour Spurs over Arsenal in the 2011 Champions League, wasn’t it?? For Mourinho to go to Real, not Arsenal?? I don’t have any proof of that, but the coincidences are noticeable……

    You might even ask Brickfields about email communications with a fictitious russian starlet, including the expressions about ‘wellness programmes’ and ‘hoeing’ being linked with gardening. I think her name rhymed with Uli, ya…..I”m sure it was a complete fluke that Leverkusen were in the same Champions League group as Chelsea, though. Not to mention Rene Artois and Colonel Crabtree turning up in Monaco to meet Theo Zwanziger, Otto Rehhagel and General von Klopperhoffen. Especially with the Germans saying they were training up a new octupus.

    All in all, I suggest you consider the likelihood that Arsenal are not whiter than white where all this is concerned. I’d start your investigations into how Arsenal poisoned the spuds in 2005 and whether they learned anything from South Africa’s poisoning of the 1995 All Blacks. Whether the trip to Greece this winter was just a jolly or not. And whether they threw the FA Cup last year.

    I’d look very carefully at whether Liverpool FC were involved in any referee nobbling in 2005/6, since an LFC fan (a really nasty piece of work) was suggesting that Everton should be bought off as the competition was worth more to them than Everton. I’m sure I’m not the President of UEFA, so I can’t quite see how asking me about that would be relevant, but then again, it would never do for senior officials to be directly involved, would it? Go look at Collina in the second leg…..since you like analysing bent refereeing performances…..

    I’d ask whether, IF I’d had enough money to even consider going to Barcelona last year rather than the CC Cup final (I didn’t, but there we are), whether the result would have been different. Someone asked me pointedly if I were going, which makes me wonder a bit. If someone gave me a UEFA Credit Card, I’d be delighted to have made the trip……

    I’d ask whether Messi made 5 deep fissures in Leverkusen’s net last week. Or whether that’s just one of those coincidences….

    I’d ask whether Rosicky’s injuries had anything to do with being caught in bed with two whores on international duty. And Mikhail Prokhorov’s ski-ing trips. It’d better not have had……

    No end to the stuff you can ask.

    Whether you’ll get answers, proof or just a loss of faith in football, I can’t tell you.

    Your choice…….

  43. @ Woolwich Peripatetic – thanks for the normination !
    @ Rhys – I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else or my e-mail has been hijacked !Do enlighten me as it all sounds so cloak & daggery to me !

  44. It would not surprise me in the slightest if the Spanish league was not found out to be bent. Barca beat opposition sides far too easily- EVERY 50/50 decision goes their way.
    You cant put Man U’s success down to bent refs- or rather you can- but you will need to put up some evidence of something more than just loose connections been events- for it not to sound like sour grapes from supporters of a club that have not won anything for 7 years.

  45. Goonergerry,
    Seriously, loose connections? Only AFC has this perception and chapter and verse specific complaints?

  46. I knew it. I have always known it. Football is corrupt. Unless your club can suck up to the right people, you are not going to win anything. Just like real life. A damn shame how corrupt this world is.

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