In an interview, former president of Valencia, Paco Roig, revealed rumors of bribery involving top clubs in La Liga. He stated, "I have been told that Real Madrid was cozying up to referees, while Barcelona was buying them gold watches. Whether this is true or false, I do not know." Roig further explained that during his time at Valencia, there was a person from the city who bought and sold players and claimed to represent Barcelona. Another former referee informed Roig that this individual approached him during a Barcelona-Elche match and offered him one million pesetas. If Barcelona won, the money would be given to the referee, and if they lost, the money would be returned. If the match ended in a draw, the referee would keep half of the money.
Roig also mentioned the alleged bribery involving golden watches, stating that Real Madrid courted referees, while Barcelona bought them Longines watches. He added that the referees were aware that these gifts would cease once their careers were over. However, Roig emphasized that he couldn't confirm the veracity of these claims.
In addition to Roig's revelations, he recalled an incident where he attempted to bribe referee Levnikov during a match between Valencia and Bayern Munich. Roig gave an agent three million pesetas, but the agent deceived him, and a penalty was awarded to Bayern Munich in the fifth minute.
These allegations of bribery have sparked discussions about the integrity of Spanish football, as well as the influence of top clubs in the league.
