Negreira case: Witnesses defend Barcelona’s referee reports
Shafaq News- Barcelona
Two former Barcelona reserve-team staff defended the usefulness of referee reports in court on Friday in the Negreira corruption investigation, Spanish news agency EFE reported.
Former reserve-team coach Gerard Lopez said he used reports prepared by Javier Enriquez, the son of former Spanish referees committee vice president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Former team delegate Toni Alonso also defended their usefulness, while explaining that some coaches used them and others, including Luis Enrique, did not, Spanish radio station Cadena SER reported.
EFE reported that the investigation concerns multimillion-euro payments Barcelona made between 2001 and 2018 to Negreira and companies linked to him and his son. Barcelona denies paying to influence referees or alter results, maintaining that the payments covered technical advice and refereeing analysis.
The Barcelona Provincial Court partially upheld a request from Real Madrid, a party to the proceedings, for additional financial documents from Barcelona after the investigating judge initially rejected it. Madrid has argued that the payments raise serious concerns about competition integrity.
The specific bribery charge was overturned in May 2024 after the court ruled that Negreira did not qualify as a public official, a requirement for that offense under Spanish law. The broader investigation continued.
With Friday’s witness testimony completed, investigating judge Alejandra Gil is awaiting financial documents from Barcelona before deciding whether to dismiss the case or allow it to proceed toward trial, according to Cadena SER, with a decision expected in early 2027.
