The long-running “Negreira case” has taken another step forward, as Spain’s judiciary has summoned former FC Barcelona managers Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde, along with current club president Joan Laporta, to testify as witnesses in the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption involving payments to former referee official José María Enríquez Negreira.
The case centers on payments made by FC Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 totaling over €7 million to companies linked to Negreira, who served as vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees. The club denies any wrongdoing and has insisted the payments were for external consultancy and scouting reports on referees, but the prosecution suspects sporting corruption.