Barcelona's battle over Negreira scandal: Major win for Laporta

In early 2023, Joan Laporta and Barcelona found themselves embroiled in the Negreira scandal.

Accusations of bribing the former vice-president of the Referee’s Committee, for favorable decisions were the backbone of the case. This scandal thrust the club into a prolonged legal struggle to clear its name.

Joan Laporta, who was president during part of the period in question, became a central figure in this legal drama. Despite the allegations dating back to his first term as president, Laporta maintained the club’s innocence throughout the ordeal.

In a significant victory, the 21st section of the Barcelona Court of Appeal recently ruled in favor of Joan Laporta. This decision, reported by Mundo Deportivo, clears Laporta and his associates of criminal charges related to the Negreira case.

The Court’s ruling overturns a previous decision by Barcelona Investigating Court No. 1 from October 2023. It had implicated Laporta and other board members from the 2003-2010 period in the alleged payments to Negreira.

The appeal court’s decision was due to the fact that Negreira could not be considered a public official, a crucial element in the bribery charge.

This ruling has been a positive for the Blaurgana, marking a significant step in their efforts to clear their name.

Bad news for former president

While this ruling was a win for Laporta, the legal proceedings continue for other former Barcelona presidents. Sandro Rosell, who served as president from 2010 to 2014, had his appeal rejected by the court and remains implicated.

He will join Josep Maria Bartomeu, who served as president from 2014 to 2020, and former CEO Oscar Grau and former director of professional sports Albert Soler.

The investigation into Barcelona’s alleged relationship with Negreira began 15 months ago, following reports that the club made payments to him during his tenure with the Technical Committee of Referees. Despite these allegations, Laporta has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing by the club.

What did Barcelona previously say?

Barcelona previously issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the court’s ruling, which dismissed the bribery charges against the club. They remain confident that further legal proceedings will continue to prove their innocence.

“FCB is satisfied with today’s ruling by the Barcelona High Court insofar as it confirms the approach defended by the Club and rules out the hypothesis of the alleged crime of bribery. We maintain our conviction that through the courts we will be able to definitively clarify the facts that are the subject of the complaint and prove the Club’s absolute innocence,” the statement read.

With this legal hurdle cleared, Laporta can now focus on his efforts to make Barcelona competitive in Spain and Europe. Despite the challenges, he has consistently reiterated that “Barcelona had not committed any crimes” throughout the process.

Photo credits: IMAGO / Pressinphoto : IMAGO / Cordon Press/Miguelez Sports