The Negreira case has returned to the centre of Spanish football after UEFA confirmed its investigation remains active and Jose Mourinho questioned whether former refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira is still connected to the controversy.
The renewed focus follows comments by the Real Madrid manager after the Madrid derby, when he discussed changes he had noticed since returning to La Liga before referring directly to the case. Mourinho also questioned whether Negreira remained linked to the matter.
His remarks came as UEFA continued its examination of documents and evidence submitted by Real Madrid. The European governing body is investigating payments made by Barcelona to Negreira while he was vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.
UEFA has confirmed the inquiry is ongoing, while Barcelona has stated that the case was never closed.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, 20 referees or refereeing officials who were active during Negreira’s time in the role remain involved in the Spanish refereeing structure. Their current or former responsibilities include officiating matches, working with the video assistant referee system (VAR), and holding technical or administrative positions.
The officials listed are Alberola Rojas, Cordero Vega, Cuadra Fernandez, De Burgos Bengoetxea, Del Cerro Grande, Diaz de Mera, Fernandez Borbalan, Figueroa Vazquez, Gil Manzano, Hernandez Hernandez, Martinez Munuera, Milla Alvendiz, Munuera Montero, Lopez Toca, Pizarro Gomez, Pulido Santana, Sanchez Martinez, Trujillo Suarez, Prieto Iglesias and Torrenzo Alvarez.
Fernandez Borbalan and Torrenzo Alvarez are among the most prominent names currently working in technical and administrative roles outside on-field refereeing.
The legal process
Negreira served as vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees from 1993 until 2018. The case became public in February 2023 following investigations into payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to the former referee.
Spanish investigations have attributed more than 8 million euros in payments to Barcelona during the period under examination. The account being investigated is that the money was paid for refereeing-related reports, although the precise purpose of the payments and their sporting and legal consequences remain under consideration by the authorities.
Barcelona’s Court of Investigation number one continues to handle the case. Statements are scheduled to be taken during November before the proceedings move to their next procedural stages.
In September, the court rejected a request to extend the investigation by a further six months. However, the inquiry remains open because the scheduled witness statements have yet to be completed.
A recent forensic medical report found that Negreira’s cognitive condition had deteriorated. It concluded that he does not have the cognitive and volitional capacity required to understand the scope of the legal proceedings, placing his attendance at any trial in considerable doubt.
With the court process continuing and UEFA pursuing its own European review, the Negreira case remains unresolved. The continued presence of 20 officials from his era within Spanish refereeing also means that the period linked to the controversy still has a visible connection with the game today.
