Barcelona president, two ex-managers set to testify in court tomorrow in Negreira case proceedings | OneFootball

The Negreira Case continues to drag on nearly three years after the payments made by FC Barcelona to the former vice president of the Referees Technical Committee (CTA) came to light.

Barça have always maintained that the payments were in exchange for reports on referees, despite allegations of the €7.2 million being paid to influence refereeing decisions.

The investigating judge continues to seek information and testimony to clarify all the facts before the matter can be closed for good.

Laporta, Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde to testify

As part of the ongoing proceedings, MARCA reports that this Friday will see three important appearances before the judge leading the investigation.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta will testify regarding these payments. A large part of the payments took place during Laporta’s first term as club president, following the line previously established by Joan Gaspart.

Luis Enrique will be testifying in the Negreira case proceedings. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Initially, Laporta was charged in the case, but after his lawyers presented their arguments, the charges were dropped, as the events that occurred during his mandate had already expired legally.

Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, both former presidents, are still charged, while Laporta will appear as a witness.

Before him, two former Barça head coaches, Ernesto Valverde and Luis Enrique, who currently manage Athletic Club and PSG respectively, will give their statements.

Their testimony aims to clarify whether at any time they were aware of the refereeing reports for which these large sums were allegedly paid.

Both coaches are expected to testify via videoconference, as their work commitments with their clubs prevent them from travelling to Barcelona. Laporta, however, will attend in person at the Ciutat de la Justicia.