A new investigation by Spain’s Civil Guard has unveiled fresh details concerning financial dealings between Barcelona Football Club and former Spanish Football Federation referee committee vice-president José María Enríquez Negreira. According to El Mundo, Barcelona allegedly paid a total of €7.5 million to Negreira, purportedly for so-called refereeing consultancy services, although the true nature of these services remains elusive.
Even more striking is the discovery that Negreira’s wife received a total of €3 million in her personal account during her husband’s tenure. This influx of funds occurred from 1992 to 2023 and significantly exceeds Negreira’s regular salary and property income, raising serious questions about its legitimacy.
Police are currently delving deeper into the specific origins of these funds to ascertain whether any wrongdoing or potential corruption is involved. The case has generated widespread attention, particularly following the summoning of several high-ranking executives, including former Barcelona presidents Joan Laporta and Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as former officials Albert Soler, Óscar Grau, and Negreira’s son, in June for questioning – a crucial step in the investigation.
In March, Enriquez Negreira and his wife both appeared at the city’s courthouse but invoked their right to remain silent, refusing to provide testimony.
Barcelona maintains that the payments were made in exchange for technical reports on referees and sports “scouting.”
Judge José Aguirre, from Barcelona’s First Criminal Court, has designated August as a crucial month for the Negreira case proceedings. According to reports, Aguirre stated in a document that August will determine whether the trial will be postponed.
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