Big boost for Barcelona as Tax Inspection Office finds no malice in Negreira case | OneFootball

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has recently made headlines with his tirade against Barcelona, as he once again levelled serious corruption charges in relation to the Negreira case.

This is despite the fact that Barcelona have never been proven guilty of bribing referees in relation to the Negreira payments.

Yet that has been the narrative Perez is pushing once again. But much to the disappointment of the Real Madrid president, Barcelona have received yet another boost in the Negreira case.

Tax Agency report clears Barcelona of key allegations

Tax Agency report comes as a blow for Florentino Perez. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan Regional Tax Inspection Office has issued a report concluding that the payments made by Barcelona to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira were not intended to bribe referees or influence sporting results.

The report acknowledges that payments totalling more than €7.5 million were made between 2001 and 2018.

However, it states that these amounts have not been proven to have been used for trading in confidential information, influencing referee appointments, or directly participating in the alteration of match results.

The findings align with Barcelona’s long-standing position that all payments were made in exchange for referee reports and carried no intention to manipulate competition.

Key details that support Barcelona’s case

Report finds no evidence of Barcelona paying referees. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The report also highlights two significant factors. Firstly, no payment was ever made directly to any referee.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira did not referee any matches during the years in which Barcelona made the payments to him.

The Tax Agency concluded there is “no evidence whatsoever that he could have influenced results.”

For Perez, who has staked considerable credibility on pushing the Negreira narrative at UEFA and beyond, this latest report represents a significant setback.