"Xabi Alonso has backed Florentino Pérez's call for "justice" in the Negreira investigation, with the Real Madrid coach saying that "for the good of football, we need to find out the truth of what happened." Barcelona president Joan Laporta -- as well as former coaches Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde -- gave evidence as witnesses on Friday to the judge leading the inquiry into over €7 million ($8.2m) of payments made by Barça to former referees' committee vice president José María Enríquez Negreira"
"On Monday, Madrid president Pérez criticised Spain's referees and Spanish football's governing bodies in a speech during the club's Christmas reception for the media, calling the Negreira case "the biggest scandal in the history of football." Pérez argued that Spanish football had "left [Real Madrid] alone" in facing the issue, said the Negreira inquiry highlighted the need for "radical change" and suggested that "it's possible that clubs were relegated" as a consequence of the case."
Xabi Alonso backed Florentino Pérez's call for "justice" in the Negreira investigation and said the truth must be found for the good of football. Joan Laporta and former coaches Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde gave evidence about more than €7m in payments linked to José María Enríquez Negreira. Pérez called the case "the biggest scandal in the history of football", accused refereeing bodies of abandoning Real Madrid, and called for radical change while suggesting clubs may have been relegated. The criminal probe has run 2½ years and Judge Alejandra Gil will decide on a full trial. Barcelona admitted payments and said they were for scouting reports on referees.
Read at ESPN.com
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