What is the “Negreira scandal” that is shaking Spanish football and complicating Barcelona: 10 keys to understanding what it is

The name of Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), has been the talk of Spanish football since it was learned that he received money from Barcelona for alleged advice. What are the keys to the theme?

1) How was the scandal uncovered?

It all started when the Spanish prosecutor’s office discovered irregularities in the taxes of the Dasnil 95 company, owned by José María Enríquez Negreira between 1994 and 2018. This information was provided to the prosecutor’s office, which decided to open an investigation. There it was learned that Barcelona had paid Dasnil 95 €6.6m since 2001 for reporting on refereeing matters. The payments ceased in 2018 to coincide with Negreira’s exit from the CTA. According to the prosecutor’s version, the real amount would be 7.2 million.

- Advertisement -

2) What is Barcelona’s version?

Joan Laporta, the current president, has admitted the payments. In fact, some of them took place during his previous management at the helm of the club. While denying any illegitimacy of the procedure, as he maintains that “he has never bought any arbitrator nor tried to influence the decisions of the arbitrators”. The latter was reported after the statement that was made public this Friday, following the news that the prosecutor’s office is investigating the club. In any case, the body had already communicated: “The club will proceed to court against anyone who defaces the image of the club with any insinuations contrary to the reputation of the body that may occur as a result of such information”.

3) Is there a risk of sporting sanctions in Spain for Barcelona?

The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, ruled him out as soon as the scandal broke, because the case prescribed. In any case, he was of the opinion that “these things can’t happen in Spanish football”. He has been publicly exposed, unlike the president of the Spanish federation, Javier Rubiales, who has maintained a strong silence. One reason would be that you don’t want to clash with the CTA.

4) Is there a risk of sporting sanctions at the continental level for Barcelona?

Yes, this same Friday it was disclosed that UEFA has already requested information and that the risk is strong: that Barcelona will not be able to participate in the Champions League for one season. This is because the organization does not tolerate participants with responsibility for altering matches in both local and international leagues.

5) Who is at risk with Justice?

The public prosecutor’s office has already filed a complaint with Barcelona before the evidence it had available. The individual at real risk of imprisonment is for two former club presidents Josep María Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell: from six months to four years in prison. But he could be cut in half because he cut payments during his tenure. Also accused are former club directors Óscar Grau and Albert Soler. Why are Joan Gaspart and Laporta running away? Because the Code in Spain does not provide for penalties for episodes prior to 2010.

6) What is the risk for Barcelona as an institution before justice?

As for the club, it would be punished with a heavy economic fine. Remember: Neymar had to pay 5,500,000 euros on his pass for tax evasion. A law professor had declared that the club could even be suspended from all activities and even the dissolution of the entity, but this was not even taken into consideration by the Madrid press. Another reality is that it would be a blow to the credibility of the institution if the crime were confirmed.

7) What is the charge before the Justice?

The complaint to the Inquiry Court number 1 of the capital of Catalonia is for a continuous crime of corruption in business in the form of sports fraud, another of maladministration and false commercial documents.

8) What was the reaction of the Spanish clubs?

Several entities have released statements demanding transparency and a forceful explanation of what happened. First it was Sevilla and Betis. Then Atlético de Madrid, Levante, Betis, Cádiz, Getafe, Villarreal, Tenerife, Alavés, Eibar, Las Palmas, Lugo and Huesca joined. A silence: Real Madrid. Which seems to have an explanation: the president of Merengue, Florentino Pérez, had an ally in Laporta in his fight to impose the Superleague.

9) The accusation of the newspaper El Mundo

The outlet ensured: “Barcelona has reached and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with the denounced Enríquez Negreira, so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the CTA and in exchange for money, he performs actions tending to favor Barcelona in the decision-formation of the referees in the matches played by the club, and therefore in the results of the competitions.” This newspaper discovered the scandal, which increases the impact of its information.

10) Was evidence of refereeing assistance to Barcelona disclosed after the disclosure of the case?

No. Some media reported that, in 2020, Negreira contacted Barcelona again to offer help with the VAR. But the audio was not transmitted by any media. In any case, it should not be forgotten that there was another version that the refereeing officer threatened Barcelona to find out everything.