Laporta’s testimony in Negreira case hearing –  ‘We paid for reports, not to favour Barcelona’ | OneFootball

The Negreira case took another step forward today as the investigating authorities heard fresh testimony from three key figures linked to FC Barcelona’s sporting structure during the years in question.

This includes club president Joan Laporta, former coach Ernesto Valverde and former manager Luis Enrique. 

All three appeared as witnesses, providing explanations regarding the payments made to former Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) vice president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

What did Laporta say?

According to SPORT’s account of the morning session, Laporta was clear and assertive in defending Barcelona’s position. 

The president insisted that the payments were strictly for technical material, explaining, “We paid for reports, not to favour Barça in any way.” 

Laporta expanded on this point by emphasising Barcelona’s dominance and reputation during that era, adding, 

“Barça, at that time, was admired around the world. It was an example and a benchmark in football. We didn’t need any favours.”

Laporta also distanced himself personally from Negreira, stating unequivocally, “In fact, I don’t know Negreira or anyone in his circle. I’ve never had any relationship with them.”

He went on to clarify that the payments were not initiated during his presidency but were inherited from earlier administrative procedures. 

“I inherited these payments, I asked the sports management and they told us to go ahead with the reports.”

There is more to the story

Laporta gave his testimony regarding the Negreira case. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Another issue addressed was the lack of documentation from his first presidential term. 

Laporta explained the absence of archived material by referring to internal club protocol, saying, 

“We don’t have reports from the first term because they are destroyed every five years.”

He additionally pointed out that the payment amounts were not substantial enough to require formal approval from the board of directors.

“The cost of the reports did not have to be approved by the board. It is a question of amount.”

Meanwhile, former Barça coaches Ernesto Valverde and Luis Enrique also gave statements, both via videoconference. 

Valverde spoke from Lezama, while Luis Enrique appeared from PSG’s training centre. 

Both managers indicated that they were never aware of any referee-related analyses supplied by Negreira. “We had no knowledge of the reports.”

Lastly, Valverde went further, adding that such material would not have influenced his work regardless – “I didn’t need them either.”