'No proof exists' - Barcelona payments to Negreira were not to influence referees, Spanish Tax Agency affirms

The Regional Inspection Office of Catalonia issued a report supporting FC Barcelona’s defense in the Negreira case. Investigators concluded that payments made to former referee committee official Jose Mara Enrquez Negreira were not shown to be used to bribe referees or manipulate match outcomes. The report aligns with Barcelona’s position that the money paid over nearly two decades was intended for technical refereeing reports. Payments totaling more than 7.5 million euros were tracked between 2001 and 2018, when Negreira left his role as vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees. The report states there is no proof of influencing results, though it notes remaining questions about certain withdrawals and potential financial fraud.

"Investigators concluded that Barcelona's payments to former referee committee official Jose Mara Enrquez Negreira were not used to bribe referees or manipulate match results. This heavily aligns with Bara's long-standing stance that the millions paid over nearly two decades were meant strictly for technical refereeing reports. The matter still needs to be resolved before a judge, but the report is likely to be used as evidence in any legal decision."

"The investigation tracked payments totaling more than 7.5 million euros between 2001 and 2018, which was the year Negreira left his post as vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA). Despite the large sums, the Spanish Tax Agency states that it has not been proven that these amounts were used to "trade for restricted information from the referee committee, influence referee designations, or directly participate in altering match results.""

""No payment to any referee is recorded... no proof exists regarding the possibility of influencing results," the official report says. However, the report raises separate questions about the destination of certain withdrawals. There are still questions about potential financial fraud, but the corruption accusations may have lost their teeth."

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