Real Madrid Pushes for More Time in the Case

Real Madrid has formally requested the Barcelona Court of Instruction No. 1 to extend the investigation phase of the Negreira Case by six more months, up to March 1, 2026. The club, acting as a private plaintiff, claims the current timeframe — already extended until September 1, 2025 — is insufficient due to the complexity of the case.

In a motion dated July 8, Real Madrid pointed out that only José María Enríquez Negreira, former vice president of Spain’s Referees Technical Committee (CTA), has appeared to testify so far, and he exercised his constitutional right to remain silent. This, the club argues, proves that the investigation is still in a very early stage.

Key Witnesses Still to Testify

The club highlighted that key individuals are yet to be summoned for questioning, including Javier Enríquez Romero (Negreira’s son), former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as former executives Óscar Grau and Albert Soler. In addition, Barcelona's current president Joan Laporta and former first-team managers Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde are expected to testify as witnesses.

Citing the broad scope of the investigation — the long duration of the alleged payments, the number of people involved, and the nature of the potential misconduct — Real Madrid argues that extending the investigation period by another six months is essential.

The Negreira Case is a judicial probe into alleged multi-year payments made by FC Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, supposedly for technical advice and referee reports. However, Spanish prosecutors are investigating whether those payments were intended to influence refereeing decisions in LaLiga.

If the extension is granted, the judicial inquiry could continue into 2026, keeping the spotlight on one of the most serious legal controversies to ever rock Spanish football.