A new development has emerged in the **Negreira case**. Judge **Alejandra Gil** of Barcelona`s Court of Instruction No. 1 has ordered the summoning of President **Joan Laporta** and former Barcelona coaches, **Luis Enrique Martínez** and **Ernesto Valverde**, as witnesses. This is part of the ongoing investigation into payments made by the club to **José María Enríquez Negreira**, the former vice-president of the Spanish Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).
According to reports from EFE, the Public Prosecutor`s Office requested these testimonies, considering them `particularly relevant` for clarifying the situation. The specific dates for these hearings are yet to be determined. Laporta, who served as Barça president from 2003 to 2010 and returned to the role in 2021, was initially investigated by the previous judge, Joaquín Aguirre, but the case against him was later dismissed due to the statute of limitations. However, he is now required to appear in court to explain the nature of the payments made to various companies linked to Negreira, including Dasnil 95, Nilsad SPC, and Soccercam SL.
**Luis Enrique** (coach between 2014 and 2017) and **Valverde** (coach between 2017 and 2020) will also be heard. Their testimony aims to clarify what information they received about referees and whether such reports genuinely influenced the tactical preparation for matches. The case continues to significantly impact Spanish football, with Barcelona increasingly involved in an inquiry that questions the integrity of the refereeing system during past years.
