Barcelona president Joan Laporta firmly denies any wrongdoing by the club in the ongoing Negreira scandal, as detailed in his new book, «Así salvamos al Barça». He insists there is no proof that payments to former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, Enriquez Negreira, influenced referee assignments or match outcomes.
Instead, Laporta turns the spotlight onto Real Madrid, alleging that for seventy years, presidents of the referees’ committees were Real Madrid fans, former players, or managers. These individuals were responsible for appointing referees in La Liga and Copa del Rey matches, a system Laporta calls the biggest scandal in the history of Spanish football.
These claims highlight deeper structural issues related to transparency and independence in Spanish football officiating. If accurate, they imply decades-long institutional bias favoring Real Madrid.
This revelation could prompt calls for reform or thorough investigations, as unresolved concerns about referee impartiality continue to affect La Liga’s reputation and fan trust across Spain.
