Espanyol lawyer files fresh complaint against Barcelona with RFEF over Negreira case

FC Barcelona continues to face challenges that threaten the club on both sporting and institutional levels, and the ongoing Negreira case remains a significant concern. The case has already seen several judicial episodes , and a new development outside the court system could create further complications for the Catalan club.

According to La Grada (via SPORT ), Espanyol lawyer Juan Luis Martín de Pozuelo has submitted a complaint to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, requesting the opening of an ethical and sporting investigation.

The complaint names FC Barcelona as the implicated entity and includes several former presidents, such as Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and Joan Gaspart, in connection with payments made to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira.

The document, dated April 1, has been submitted to the RFEF Ethics Committee. The complainant has indicated that he also plans to send the case to UEFA and FIFA to extend the investigation beyond Spain and the national federation framework.

According to the complaint, the payments in question exceed €8 million and span from 2001 to 2018, a figure already under scrutiny in ongoing judicial proceedings.

The lawyer challenges the historical explanation offered by Barcelona , which argued that the payments were made solely for referee technical reports. He claims the volume of the payments cannot be justified by such work, while FC Barcelona maintains that all services were professional and legitimate.

The complaint also cites prior judicial rulings, including the October 2023 order from the investigating court, to reinforce the call for the RFEF to open an ethical investigation and consider whether any disciplinary measures may be appropriate.

From an institutional perspective, the complaint raises the question of whether the RFEF should apply its ethical code internally, given its role as a plaintiff in the ongoing judicial process. Barcelona and the federation have not made any public statements regarding this latest development.

However, the Catalans uphold their stance that the payments were clean, made only for technical advice, and believe the whole case is a smear campaign against the club.