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El Clasico refereeing report from Negreira Barcelona scandal emerges

Spanish outlet Libertad Digital has published one of the reports Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira prepared for Barcelona.

The former vice-president of referees in Spain and the Catalans have been under investigation since February.

Barca have been charged by Spain’s prosecutor’s office with corruption for paying Negreira €7.3 million.

Libertad Digital recently released the three-page report found during a police search at the house of ex-Barca director Josep Contreras.

The document was prepared ahead of a La Liga game between the club and Real Madrid in 2012.

The match ended 2-2, and Negreira detailed how the Catalans should conduct themselves before referee Carlos Delgado Ferreiro.

He made mention of the official’s fitness struggles, highlighting that he spent the first ten minutes around the middle of the pitch.

Negreira also made Barca aware that Ferreiro would struggle to keep up with the pace and rhythm of the game.


The former referee chief advised Blaugrana players to fall on the turf to make sure the centre ref recognises a foul.

However, he warned them, especially Alexis Sanchez, against diving as Ferreiro does not hesitate to book players for it.

The club’s former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, and former directors Oscar Grau and Albert Soler have been accused of corruption in sports and unfair administration.

Contreras passed away last December, which excludes him from being charged.

Some former Barca directors have insisted that the payments made to Negreira were for protection against a perceived bias.

The club wanted compensation for the favours they perceived Real Madrid received.

Investigators also plan to interview president Joan Laporta and former managers Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde.

The saga is unlikely to end anytime soon, and more revelations will continue to emerge.

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