The Spanish State Tax Administration Agency has released a new inspection report concluding that there is no evidence FC Barcelona paid former refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira to bribe referees or influence match results. The report, issued by the Regional Inspection Authority of Catalonia on Sunday, represents a significant boost to Barcelona's legal defense in the long-running scandal that has rocked Spanish football and inflamed tensions between the country's two biggest clubs.
The tax agency's investigation examined the more than 7.5 million euros in payments Barcelona made to Negreira between 2001 and 2018, during which time Negreira served as vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees. The report found that no payment to any individual referee has been identified, and that there is no proof demonstrating that the funds were used for trafficking confidential information from the referee committee, influencing the designation of match officials, or directly intervening to alter match results. The inspectors noted that Negreira was not actively refereeing during those years, further undermining claims that he could directly manipulate outcomes.
The findings align with Barcelona's consistent defense since the scandal first emerged in 2023, when the club maintained that all payments to Negreira were for legitimate technical consulting services, specifically arbitration reports and scouting analysis of referees' tendencies. Former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu reiterated in recent court proceedings that there was no bribery of referees or match-fixing involved in the payments, describing the arrangement as a standard professional consultancy used to prepare the club's coaching staff for upcoming matches.
The report arrives amid an escalating feud between Barcelona and Real Madrid over the case. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez recently announced that his club was preparing a 500-page dossier to submit to UEFA, claiming that 14 titles had been stolen from Real Madrid as a result of the alleged corruption. Barcelona responded by announcing their legal department was studying formal legal action against Perez for his public accusations. UEFA has reportedly indicated it is powerless to take sporting action against Barcelona over the Negreira case, as the matter falls under the jurisdiction of Spanish judicial authorities.
While the tax agency report is a major development in Barcelona's favor, the broader judicial investigation remains ongoing under investigating judge Joaquin Aguirre. The report does raise separate questions about the destination of certain cash withdrawals, and prosecutors continue to examine whether potential financial irregularities exist beyond the corruption allegations. Legal experts have noted that while the corruption charges may have lost significant weight with this finding, the case is expected to continue for several more years before reaching a definitive conclusion.
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