One Year of ‘Negreira Case’: The Scandal That Stained Barcelona’s Image and Shattered the Refereeing System
The ‘Negreira Case,’ investigating the payment of €7.5 million from FC Barcelona to José Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018 through various companies linked to the former vice president of the Technical Referees Committee (CTA) and his son, Javier Enríquez Romero, marks its one-year anniversary on Thursday, February 15.
The ongoing investigation has not yet demonstrated that these payments were intended to influence referees’ decisions during matches. Barcelona maintains that the payments were made in exchange for technical reports on refereeing and sports scouting.
Timeline Summary of the ‘Negreira Case’:
February 15, 2023: SER Cataluña’s ‘Què t’hi jugues’ program reveals the Fiscalía is investigating ex-CTA vice president José María Enríquez Negreira for payments received by FC Barcelona between 2016 and 2018, amounting to €2.1 million.
February 16, 2023: RFEF’s Integrity Department initiates a confidential information request to CTA officials and FC Barcelona regarding the case.
February 24, 2023: Referee Xavier Estrada Fernández files a criminal complaint against José María Enríquez Negreira and his son for alleged sports corruption.
March 8, 2023: LaLiga President Javier Tebas announces LaLiga’s intention to join the Negreira case as a private prosecutor, emphasizing the importance of the competition’s reputation.
March 10, 2023: The Prosecutor’s Office files a complaint against FC Barcelona and former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell for million-euro payments to José María Enríquez Negreira, allegedly to influence referees’ decisions.
March 12, 2023: Real Madrid’s Board decides to intervene in the Negreira case when opened to affected parties, expressing deep concern about the seriousness of the allegations.
March 15, 2023: The Barcelona Court admits the Prosecutor’s complaint against FC Barcelona and José María Enríquez Negreira for million-euro payments.
March 16, 2023: RFEF announces its intervention in the procedure.
March 19, 2023: Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez decides not to attend the LaLiga Clásico at the Spotify Camp Nou, and the traditional pre-match directors’ lunch is canceled.
April 3, 2023: UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin deems the FC Barcelona situation “exceptionally serious” in the Negreira case, asserting that it has not expired for the European football federation.
April 17, 2023: After various media interventions and an internal investigation, FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta holds a press conference to explain the Negreira case.
May 26, 2023: The Barcelona Court admits Real Madrid’s intervention in the procedure but rejects the inclusion of the Higher Sports Council (CSD) based on the Prosecutor’s criteria.
June 2, 2023: The judge decides to charge Javier Enríquez, son of José María Enríquez Negreira, and expands the case to include a money laundering charge.
June 27, 2023: The Barcelona Court rejects FC Barcelona’s request to be a private prosecutor in the case, alongside being investigated, citing potential prejudice in accordance with the Prosecutor’s request.
July 27, 2023: UEFA allows FC Barcelona’s participation in the Champions League after receiving a favorable report from the Ethics and Discipline Inspectors (IED) investigating the club’s involvement in the Negreira case.
September 28, 2023: The judge orders the Civil Guard to search the offices of the Technical Referees Committee (CTA) in Las Rozas, Madrid, and accuses FC Barcelona of bribery, suspecting payments for “desired refereeing effects.”
October 10, 2023: José María Enríquez Negreira undergoes examination for dementia symptoms, as claimed by his defense in court.
October 18, 2023: Judge Aguirre decides to charge FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta, concluding that payments to the ex-CTA vice president between 2008 and 2010 constitute a continuous bribery offense.
October 27, 2023: Judge Aguirre asks the Tax Agency to specify from what year FC Barcelona deducted the invoices paid to José María Enríquez Negreira and his son between 2001 and 2018.
November 7, 2023: The Prosecutor’s Office appeals the indictment of FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta in the Negreira case, claiming that potential crimes would have prescribed in July 2020.
January 12, 2024: Several referees interviewed by the Civil Guard believe FC Barcelona attempted to gain sporting benefits through payments to ex-CTA vice president José María Enríquez Negreira and his son, though they claim it did not influence refereeing decisions.
