In a case that has drawn widespread attention, a Barcelona court is examining the actions of José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA). The matter reached a point where the judge summoned Negreira to testify on February 21, following a forensic report. While doctors confirmed that Negreira has Alzheimer’s disease, they also stated that the condition does not prevent him from appearing before the court to provide testimony.
Tax office records indicate that Negreira is under investigation for payments totaling 7.5 million euros received from FC Barcelona over a span from 2001, during Joan Gaspart’s presidency, to 2018, when Josep Maria Bartomeu led the club. The judge overseeing the case has described the payments as “indicative,” suggesting they may have been made in exchange for Negreira’s influence on the football arbitration body. FC Barcelona is named as a defendant in the proceedings, alongside former club presidents Sandro Rosell, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and the current president Joan Laporta, as well as two former officials from the organization. The charges against Negreira and his son Javier Enríquez Romero include allegations related to bribery and corruption within sports governance. The Barcelona court is currently awaiting resolutions on numerous appeals lodged by the defense in this matter.
Judge Joaquín Aguirre continues to direct inquiries in the Negreira case, focusing on payments from FC Barcelona to the former referee committee leader. His orders reflect the possibility of systemic corruption within the Technical Committee of Referees, with the judge actively pursuing procedures intended to test whether there was influence over fellow committee members in ways that could affect refereeing decisions.
Impatience
The judge’s findings indicate that Negreira, during his tenure with FC Barcelona, participated in the performance of public duties. There is also evidence suggesting that Barcelona halted payments to him after his departure from the vice presidency of the Technical Committee. The court notes that a vice-chairman of the committee must remain impartial and treat all clubs equally, a duty that would be compromised if the person in that role received improper compensation or acted under the influence of one side. The inquiry examines whether an annual bonus was provided to support referees who operated under Barcelona’s influence and whether those payments had any bearing on the monitoring process of referees within the club’s orbit.
The investigative narrative portrays Negreira as having potentially engaged in actions inconsistent with the duties of his position. The concern centers on whether he offered oral or written guidance in relation to his official role, a scenario that would raise questions about propriety given the amounts paid and the force of his connections with other members of the refereeing community. The documentation discusses the possibility that appointments or oversight of referees could have been influenced by Negreira’s status and reach within the organization, raising concerns about impartiality and the integrity of the refereeing system.