Ex-Barcelona president fumes at corruption claims over Negreira case and argues refereeing chiefs were 'absolutely fans of Real Madrid'

Ex-Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has vehemently defended the club in the Negreira case, asserting former refereeing chiefs had no influence over the club's results due to their biases favoured Real Madrid. With Rosell challenging critics to review matches and Real Madrid escalating complaints to FIFA, Spanish football faces a high-stakes debate over integrity, influence and accountability.

Sandro Rosell’s defence in the Negreira case

Rosell appeared before the judge last week in the Negreira case, which is investigating over €7 million allegedly paid by Barcelona to former referees’ chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018. Audio recordings broadcast on capture Rosell’s assertive defence: he stressed that Negreira “had zero weight” in the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) and that the only influential figure historically was the CTA president, who “has always been a Real Madrid fan.”

Rosell challenged critics to watch the matches from the period under investigation: "Yes, it's very easy. Let's watch all the matches and have five referee experts come and tell us in which match the referee helped us. Let them come. Here they can't say I filed the case due to lack of evidence. Here the evidence is in favour of the accused. It's the other way around."

During the latest hearing, former presidents Josep Bartomeu and Rosell, along with Negreira’s son, also clarified that payments made between 2013 and 2018 were for sports and refereeing advisory reports, not to influence results. The court heard that services were provided for both the first team and reserves, and that Enriquez Negreira’s departure from the Federation was unrelated to his son’s employment at Barca.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMadrid's official complaint to FIFA

Madrid’s recently submitted complaint focuses on refereeing inconsistencies, citing specific incidents such as Arda Guler’s disallowed goal, Kylian Mbappe's marginal offsides, and Dean Huijsen’s red card against Real Sociedad. Club president Florentino Perez insists on international scrutiny, arguing that domestic refereeing lacks credibility. When asked about the complaint, coach Xabi Alonso emphasised that defending the club’s interests is legitimate but cautioned against a one-track focus on refereeing.

The complaint also references the Negreira case, contending that the scandal continues to cast a shadow over Spanish officiating, as many referees active today came through the system during Negreira’s tenure.

Rosell critiques Madrid’s actions

The former Barca president did not shy away from criticising Madrid’s recent refereeing complaints, pointing to their escalation to FIFA.

"A gentleman's club should have accepted this and not dragged it out for life as they are trying to do to cover up other things," he said. "Like now, for example, after four league games, they have already gone to complain to FIFA about the refereeing. Where is Mr. Negreira now?"

Rosell further took shots at Los Blancos and emphasised that sometimes you have to accept your defeat.

"Here they can say that we're closing the case because the evidence supports the accused… and that's it. Let's all sit down and watch the games again. I'd love to. Maybe some people here wouldn't like to watch it again. I'm sorry. But sometimes you don't win. Sometimes you lose, and you have to accept that."

AFPWill there be an official review of the Spanish referee committee?

Barcelona now awaits the court’s judgment in the Negreira case, which will determine the fate of former presidents Rosell and Bartomeu. Meanwhile, Madrid are seeking FIFA scrutiny over refereeing inconsistencies.

The unfolding situation raises a critical question: can there be an official review of the Spanish Referee Committee (CTA)? While the court addresses the criminal and financial aspects of the case, FIFA or the Royal Spanish Football Federation could potentially review refereeing standards, procedures, and oversight to ensure fairness and transparency in La Liga. This period of scrutiny represents a pivotal moment for Spanish football, as both legal and regulatory outcomes could reshape the governance of officiating for years to come.