The Negreira case surrounding Barcelona has entered a new phase after a judge issued a major decision in the ongoing proceedings.
FC Barcelona has secured a major legal victory as the head magistrate of Barcelona Investigating Court No. 1 formally blocked attempts to prolong the ongoing judicial proceedings concerning former refereeing executive payments.
For months, rival entities have attempted to extend the procedural timeframe in an effort to maintain scrutiny over the Catalan club’s historic financial records.
The judge formally rejected the legal petition filed by Real Madrid, which was supported by public prosecutors, seeking to drag out the investigation by an additional six months, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Real Madrid, acting as a private prosecution party, attempted to expand the judicial scope past the established September 1 deadline.
However, the court ruled that further extensions were entirely unnecessary, noting that remaining investigative measures—such as scheduled witness testimonies from former Barcelona B head coach Gerard López and reserve delegate Antonio Rambla—were already locked into the judicial calendar prior to the expiration date.
The ruling represents a massive institutional relief for Barcelona president Joan Laporta and the club’s board, who have consistently maintained that all payments made between 2001 and 2018 were strictly for legitimate technical refereeing reports and youth scouting analyses.
Despite extensive scrutiny and prolonged media coverage, investigating authorities have produced zero evidence demonstrating any attempt to influence match outcomes, corrupt refereeing neutrality, or commit sporting crimes.
By denying Real Madrid’s attempt to prolong the investigation, the court has effectively restricted the scope of the case to its final remaining procedural steps.
With the investigation phase now concluding, Barcelona can move past long-standing legal uncertainties and refocus their complete attention on first-team performance under Hansi Flick.
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