These were Negreira’s conversations with the Barcelona players in 1991

In August 1991, Johan Cruyff was the coach of FC Barcelona and he was very concerned about the change in FIFA rules, thinking that these new rules could affect his team, who played very attacking football. Cruyff complained about the rule change and defended the referees saying that “eventually they risk being shot if the whistle blows”. there, in that context, the figure of José María appeared Enríquez Negreira, who decided to work with FC Barcelona to clarify arbitration issues and explain the rule changes.

What were those conversations like? Negreira, who was sympathetic to Cruyff’s complaints, went to Camp Nou and also Mini-Estadi’s facilities to have a chat with the entire first team and later also with Barça’s subsidiary. Enríquez explained to the culé dressing room that FIFA and UEFA had issued new rules and they had to understand how they were applied so that the team would not be harmed in their league games, something that seriously worried Cruyff. Negreira spoke to the players and coaching staff of the Barcelona first team as well as the players of the youth academy, to whom he gave several speeches, explaining various assumptions, plays and possible sanctions.

Negreira, at the time an active referee associated with the Catalan federation, dispelled any doubts the Barça players had about the new rules. Negreira himself acknowledged that “they asked him” and that when he was done with Barça, “he would do the same with Espanyol, talking to his players at Sarriá”. Asked by the journalists about the content of these conversations with the players, Enríquez noted that “the new rules will create a lot of problems because they are open to different interpretations. For example, whether the defender who fouls the striker who is heading for the goal is alone or not… Also in the case of goalkeepers, there are several nuances. According to the play, he cannot hit the ball twice in the area. Another point of contention is the exclusion when a field player intercepts the ball with his hand,” he said.

Negreira even went so far as to remark in the press at the time that “the National Association of Referees is always open to these things”, while assuring that “relations with Barça and Espanyol are excellent, since they have asked me and that is exactly why I have lend me for these talks,” he said. The then referee also indicated his willingness to offer his services to give these speeches to players from clubs like Sant Andreu. In those years, Negreira was one of the “head” referees of Catalan football, which is why people turned to him when it came to leading a friendly match or a Copa de Catalunya, for example.