Madrid's Negreira case request thrown out by judge in latest legal twist

Real Madrid’s legal manoeuvre in the ongoing Negreira case has hit the buffers as a judge dismisses their request to examine Barcelona’s financial records.

Judge sides with Bartomeu

In what’s becoming quite the soap opera in Spanish football, Judge Alejandra Gil Llima has rejected Real Madrid’s petition to examine all external audits and due diligence reports related to Barcelona’s economic management between 2003 and 2021.

The ruling effectively backs former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s position. Bartomeu had previously refused to hand over additional documentation, arguing that Los Blancos were simply fishing for private information about their rivals to gain a competitive advantage.

This latest development suggests Madrid’s legal team might need to go back to the drawing board in their approach to the Negreira case, which involves allegations of improper payments from Barcelona to former refereeing official José María Enríquez Negreira.

One witness approved

While Madrid’s main request was denied, the judge did approve one element of their petition: the testimony of Carles Naval Biosca, who will appear in court on April 10, 2026, at 9:45 am.

Naval’s testimony has been deemed potentially relevant as he reportedly:

• Was involved in the payment approval process for years
• May provide clarity on what happened to the reports allegedly produced by Negreira
• Could explain the purpose behind the payments and what services were being remunerated

On the same day, Barcelona will also appear in court as an investigated party at 10:45 am, after their previously scheduled appearance was postponed due to scheduling conflicts.

The Negreira case continues to bubble away like a proper pot of trouble for Barcelona, while Madrid’s attempt to get their hands on their rival’s books has been given the old heave-ho. Proper drama, this one.