The ongoing investigation into €8.4 million in payments from Barcelona to a former refereeing chief has caused a total breakdown in relations with Real Madrid as the case nears a potential criminal trial.
Nearly three years after payments totaling €8.4 million to former refereeing official José María Enríquez Negreira were first revealed, a Barcelona court investigation continues to loom over Spanish football.
The “Caso Negreira” centers on funds sent between 2001 and 2018 to companies linked to the former vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.
As the investigation enters a critical stage, the scandal has severely fractured relations between Barcelona and their arch-rivals, Real Madrid.
Tensions peaked ahead of this evening’s Supercopa de España final in Saudi Arabia following vitriolic public exchanges between the clubs’ presidents.
Real Madrid’s Florentino Pérez recently demanded “radical change” in Spanish refereeing, while Barcelona’s Joan Laporta described the scrutiny as an “orchestrated campaign” to tarnish the club’s history.
Laporta recently told reporters that official relations between the giants are “totally broken,” citing a lack of respect from those who “confuse power with unenlightened despotism.”
Recent court testimony has highlighted significant inconsistencies in Barcelona’s defense. While Laporta and former presidents maintain the payments were for legitimate technical scouting reports, high-profile coaches have contradicted these claims.
Former managers Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde testified in December that they were entirely unaware of such reports. Luis Enrique told the court, “Nobody mentioned any reports to me, or showed me any reports, I can assure you of that.”
The legal investigation, now led by judge Alejandra Gil, is also scrutinizing Negreira’s son, Javier Enríquez Romero, for potential money laundering.
Despite the significant sums paid over nearly two decades, legal experts note that a conviction for “sporting corruption” requires specific proof of intent to manipulate match results.
Laporta remains firm in his stance, stating under oath, “FC Barcelona has never taken any action which was aimed at altering the competition to gain a sporting advantage.”
The evidence-gathering “instruction phase” is scheduled to conclude on March 1, after which the court will determine if the case proceeds to a criminal trial.
While La Liga and UEFA have yet to issue formal sporting sanctions, the ongoing probe continues to damage the reputation of Spanish officialdom.
As both sides prepare for the Supercopa final, the atmosphere remains frosty, with the scandal ensuring that every refereeing decision is viewed through a lens of suspicion.