Judge rejects extending the Negreira case despite Real Madrid's request

The judge investigating FC Barcelona's payments to former Technical Committee of Referees vice-president José María Enríquez Negreira has rejected a request from Real Madrid, supported by the prosecution, to extend the inquiry by another six months. The proceedings are not being closed entirely, however: two witness appearances are still scheduled for November.

• The magistrate dismisses the six-month extension sought by Real Madrid with the prosecution's backing.
• The instruction period expired on September 1 and the judge sees no grounds to prolong it.
• Two witness statements remain scheduled for November: Gerard López and the reserve team delegate, Antonio A.
• The investigation focuses on 7.3 million euros paid between 2001 and 2018 to Enríquez Negreira and his son Javier.
• The Barcelona Provincial Court still has to rule on investigative measures requested by Real Madrid that the judge denied.

Why the judge sees no need for a new extension in the Negreira case

In a ruling dated August 10, the judge at Barcelona's instruction court number 1 stated that it is not essential to prolong the investigation simply because two witness statements remain pending for November. The magistrate noted that those appearances had already been agreed before the previous extension came to an end on September 1.

Real Madrid had filed its request on July 14. The club argued that the investigation carried out by the Civil Guard during the instruction phase provides direct and circumstantial evidence that strengthens the possible commission of a continuous offence of sports corruption.

The witnesses still due to testify in November

Former Barcelona reserve team player and coach Gerard López and the reserve team delegate, Antonio A., are expected to appear in November. Their statements are the only witness proceedings still on the instruction calendar.

The judge considers that because both appearances were arranged before the end of the previous extension, they do not on their own justify an additional extension of the deadline. The proceedings therefore continue under the existing schedule, with the expiry of the period having no effect on the validity of those pending testimonies.

The Barcelona Provincial Court can still rule on new investigative measures

Another argument put forward by Real Madrid for the extension was the existence of investigative measures that the magistrate denied and which are now awaiting a decision from the Barcelona Provincial Court. The club believed the case should remain open until that ruling was known.

The judge disagrees with that approach. In her view, if the Barcelona Provincial Court were to side with Real Madrid and order those measures to be carried out, they would not be invalid even if conducted after the ordinary instruction period has expired. She therefore sees no reason to keep the inquiry phase open while awaiting that decision.

What is being investigated in the Negreira case and why it matters for Spanish football

The case examines the 7.3 million euros that FC Barcelona paid between 2001 and 2018 to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, and to his son Javier. The investigation seeks to determine whether those payments were connected to alleged irregular conduct in the refereeing sphere.

The proceedings have attracted significant attention in Spanish football due to the institutional standing of the former refereeing official and Barcelona's status as one of the biggest clubs in LaLiga. Real Madrid, as a party to the case, has maintained an active role in requesting investigative measures and monitoring the instruction phase.

The positions of Real Madrid and the prosecution during the inquiry

Real Madrid has argued that the Civil Guard's investigation provides solid indications of a continuous offence of sports corruption. That was the basis for its request for a six-month extension, which the prosecution supported and which the judge ultimately dismissed.

The judge considers it unnecessary to extend the instruction simply because two witness statements are scheduled for November.

Despite this procedural setback, the case remains active. The possibility that the Barcelona Provincial Court may order new investigative measures leaves open the prospect of the inquiry expanding in the future without a formal extension of the instruction period.

Frequently asked questions about the judicial ruling in the Negreira case