Negreira case: Two former Barcelona managers, Laporta set to testify in court in December | OneFootball

Although Barcelona are far away from troubled waters, the court proceedings in the Negreira case have continued to move forward.

Earlier today, the court heard testimonies from several figures involved in the whole fiasco, including the likes of Sandro Rosell, Josep Maria Bartomeu, Oscar Grau, and Albert Soler.

Ana Paul Rufas and Javier Enriquez, who are the wife and son of Enriquez Negreira, respectively, also appeared in court.

Now, the next figures in line for a testimony before Judge Alejandra Gil are Barcelona president Joan Laporta and former coaches Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde.

When are the testimonies scheduled?

According to MARCA, the three will appear in court on Friday, December 12, after the original date of November 25 was postponed.

Several lawyers linked to the case had trials scheduled for that day, forcing the judge to set a new date.

Laporta has been summoned because the payments to Enriquez Negreira took place during his first stint as president.

Laporta will serve as a witness in the Negreira case. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

However, it is important to note that charges against him have been dismissed, so he will not appear as a defendant but as a witness.

Why are Enrique and Valverde involved?

In addition to the current president Laporta, former Barcelona coaches Valverde and Enrique will also be involved.

Their connection stems from their role as head coaches during the years under scrutiny.

It appears that investigators want to establish whether they were aware of the referee analysis reports that were allegedly provided and if such reports were ever used to prepare for matches.

Enrique, who is poised to win the Coach of the Year award in the Ballon d’Or gala later this month, was called as a witness to this case.

The same can be said for Valverde, who is currently coaching Athletic Club – a team that has become one of Barcelona’s big adversaries, especially after the Nico Williams fiasco in the summer.