Barcelona Representative Confirms Receiving Referee Reports in Negreira Case

Carlos Naval, the first-team delegate for Barcelona, testified before a judge on Friday as part of the ongoing investigation into the 'Negreira case.' Naval confirmed that the club had received technical reports on referees over several years. He clarified that he began receiving these reports in 2014, noting that they contained detailed information for which substantial sums were paid to José María Enríquez Negreira since the turn of the century.

During his testimony, the Catalan club's delegate explained that he made these documents available to coaches and technical staff through the club's internal channels. Carlos Naval stated: “I made the reports available to the coaches,” justifying his interest in these reports by saying that information coming from a third party interested him more than what he already possessed. In this context, the case previously saw a public admission from Gerard López, the former coach of Barcelona's reserve team, who confirmed using these reports during his tenure.

Investigation data indicates that Barcelona paid over seven million euros for this service since the beginning of the century, a point that has sparked widespread legal debate in Spanish sports circles. While judicial proceedings continue, Real Madrid's appeal against the judge's refusal to grant them access to Barcelona's economic accounts remains pending. Meanwhile, the defense's request to formally summon Gerard López to testify before the court has not yet been accepted.

The legal process for this case is expected to continue until next September, despite calls and efforts to close the file earlier. These developments come as Spanish authorities seek to determine the nature of the financial relationship between the club and the former official of the Referees Committee, aiming to ensure the integrity of competitions in La Liga and clarify all circumstances surrounding these payments.