The investigation into the Negreira case uncovered close ties between a number of referees in the first and second divisions and the family of Jose Maria Enríquez Negreira, who previously held the position of vice president at the Committee of Technical Arbitration (CTA). Around twenty witnesses spoke with the Civil Guard as part of Barcelona Court of Investigation No. 1. Officials noted signs of collusion between referees and the Negreiras, yet none of the referees indicated that the former CTA leader or his son received payments from FC Barcelona. (Civil Guard report; cited in court documents)
A report presented to the court by the Civil Guard records statements from roughly twenty referees and former Barcelona officials during the previous summer. Among the referees were those active in the VAR room, such as Mateu Lahoz, Jaime Latre, and Pino Zamorano. It was noted that some colleagues attended dinners and gatherings, including karaoke, with Enríquez Negreira and also visited his wife’s bar in Barcelona. (Civil Guard testimony)
Enríquez Negreira as Barcelona’s high-cost bill
They did this when officiating in Barcelona or nearby locations. When it came time for matches at Camp Nou, Negreira’s son, Javier Enríquez, who was also implicated, would pick referees up from their hotels and transport them to the stadium, occasionally using notably large minibuses. Of the referees questioned, Latre stood out for the extent of contact with Negreira, including dinners at his wife’s bar. Payments to Javier Enríquez were made by bank transfer for services linked to the former CTA vice president and also a coach. (Court documents; witness statements)
Witnesses indicated that the son could deliver certain trainings, which were also offered to players and coaches thanks to his father’s influence on the committee. None of the statements, however, described requests to alter match outcomes or outright bribery. (Testimonies to the Civil Guard)
hidden payments
During proceedings, senior Barça officials discussed payments made to Negreira and his associates over nearly two decades, totaling more than 7.5 million euros for work that inspectors did not deem justified. Members of the Compliance Office, responsible for financial controls and crime prevention, were named in the matter. One manager, Sabine Paquer, who led the department from 2016 to 2019, stated she had not seen any invoices or proof of payment linked to Enríquez Negreira and his son. (Internal compliance notes; interview transcripts)
Investigators believe that critical information may have been concealed by those responsible for bookkeeping. The compliance head noted that he learned of payments to Negreira’s companies from the media and that internal auditors did not comment on the issue. He added that if he had known about the payments earlier, he would have opened a dedicated file to trace their origin and justification. (Compliance interviews)
In the coming weeks, the Civil Guard is expected to file a final report on the Negreira case. Afterward, the court could name defendants charged with bribery, sports corruption, improper management, and forgery of commercial documents. Former Barça presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, among others, are mentioned along with Enríquez Negreira and his son, who has claimed a degenerative illness. The prosecutor’s office has appealed a judge’s ruling, and Joan Laporta is also under investigation for bribery in the initial phase of his presidency at Barça. Appeals before the Barcelona Court are ongoing. (Judicial proceedings and appeals)
The investigation into the Negreira case again highlighted the close ties between numerous referees and the Negreira family, with around twenty judges and officials providing statements to the Civil Guard as part of the case filed in Barcelona Court of Investigation No. 1. The inquiry noted a pattern of cooperation between referees and the Negreiras, though none of the whistleblowers indicated that money flowed to the Negreiras from FC Barcelona. (Civil Guard findings)
A Civil Guard report summarises that statements were taken from about twenty referees and former Barça officials the previous summer. Included among the referees were those who work in VAR settings, such as Lahoz, Latre, and Zamorano. It was noted that some colleagues attended social events with Enríquez Negreira, including dinners and visits to his wife’s bar in Barcelona. (Court documents; testimony summaries)
Enríquez Negreira and Barcelona’s costly bill
The pattern described involved travel to referee assignments in Barcelona and nearby regions. When matches were held at Camp Nou, Javier Enríquez would pick referees up from hotels and drive them to the stadium, sometimes in conspicuously large minibuses. Latre was singled out for the most frequent contact with Negreira, including meals at the bar owned by Negreira’s wife. Payments to Javier Enríquez were made by bank transfer for services linked to the former CTA vice president and for coaching work. (Witness accounts; financial records)
Witnesses said that the son could convey training opportunities to players and coaches due to his father’s influence within the committee. None of the accounts mentioned requests to influence match outcomes or bribery. (Witness testimony)
hidden payments
During the Civil Guard’s oversight, senior Barça officials described payments to Negreira and his associates over nearly twenty years, totaling more than 7.5 million euros for work not deemed justified by inspectors. Among the named individuals were members of the Compliance Office, tasked with financial oversight and the prevention of crimes. Sabine Paquer, who led the unit from 2016 to 2019, stated she had not seen invoices or proof of payment tied to Enríquez Negreira and his son. (Compliance records)
Researchers believe key details were hidden by those responsible for accounting. The head of compliance also said he learned about the payments from the press and that internal auditors did not comment. He noted that if the information had been known earlier, a formal dossier would have been started to uncover its origin and justification. (Interviews; internal notes)
In the coming weeks, the Civil Guard will submit its final report to the proceeding, enabling the court to name defendants accused of bribery, sports corruption, unfair management, and forgery of commercial documents. Former Barça presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, along with other former officials and Enríquez Negreira and his son, are among those named, with the latter citing a degenerative condition. The prosecutor’s office has appealed a judge’s decision, and Joan Laporta is also under bribery investigation during his early years as Barça president. Appeals before the Barcelona Court are ongoing. (Judicial timeline and appeals)