Barcelona's involvement in the 'Negreira case' extended until September

One of the most high-profile cases in Spanish football remains the so-called 'Negreira case,' with Barcelona at its center. For the Catalan giants, a swift resolution remains out of reach.

Details: According to As, the Barcelona court has extended the judicial investigation in the 'Negreira case' until September, rejecting the Catalan club's appeals.

The appeals claimed that no new investigative actions had taken place since November, and that there was no legal basis for prolonging the case. Additionally, it was argued that the extension order was handwritten and communicated to the parties with a delay. Nonetheless, the court upheld the decision to continue the investigation. Without this extension, the case would have had to be closed, even though most of the key figures—apart from Negreira himself—have yet to testify.

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Background: Barcelona is accused of paying over 7 million euros to former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Spanish Federation, José María Enríquez Negreira, and his companies between 2001 and 2018.

Officially, these payments were for 'technical reports' on referees, consultations, referee assessments, and similar services. However, prosecutors suspect the real motive was to influence referees and secure favorable officiating. Alongside Negreira, former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu are also implicated in the case.