Lawyer files complaint against Barcelona with RFEF over Negreira case | OneFootball

A new development has emerged in the ‘Negreira case’, concerning FC Barcelona, this time outside the judicial process.

According to SPORT, lawyer Juan Luis Martin de Pozuelo, an Espanyol supporter, has filed a complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), requesting the opening of an ethical and sporting investigation into FC Barcelona.

The document, dated 1 April, has been submitted to the federation’s Ethics Committee. The complainant has also indicated that it will be forwarded to UEFA and FIFA in an effort to extend the scope of the proceedings beyond the national level.

The complaint names several former Barcelona presidents, including Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Joan Gaspart, in connection with payments made to companies linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

According to the submitted documentation, the payments amounted to more than €8 million between 2001 and 2018, a matter that is already part of the ongoing judicial investigation.

The complainant challenges the explanation historically provided by the club, which maintains that the payments were for technical refereeing reports, arguing that such services would not justify the scale of the amounts involved.

Laporta has already testified in court in relation to the Negreira case. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

This interpretation remains under judicial review. Barcelona have consistently defended the payments as legitimate professional services.

Request for disciplinary action

The complaint also references prior rulings in the case, including an order issued in October 2023 by the investigating court, to support its ethical argument.

It calls on the RFEF to open disciplinary proceedings, consider possible sanctions, and refer the matter to international bodies.

One institutional issue raised in the complaint concerns a potential contradiction in the role of the federation, which is participating as an accuser in the criminal case while also being responsible for internal disciplinary oversight.

The complainant argues that a response should also be issued under RFEF’s ethical code. At present, however, there has been no official statement from the relevant organisations.

Barcelona’s position

From Barcelona’s perspective, the club maintain the same position they have expressed in court and in public appearances. They insist that the payments were for advisory services and deny any conduct aimed at influencing competition outcomes.

Meanwhile, president-elect Joan Laporta has repeatedly stated that the case is part of a broader campaign intended to damage the club’s reputation.