Former Barça B boss Gerard drops bombshell: 'Negreira's son's reports were super useful to me'
Ex-Barcelona B manager Gerard López admits he received and valued referee reports from Negreira's son, contradicting statements from Luis Enrique and Valverde.
A significant new twist in the Negreira case has emerged as former Barcelona B team manager Gerard López reveals he not only received the controversial referee reports but found them extremely valuable during his tenure.
In a candid interview with Onda Cero, López has potentially opened another can of worms in the ongoing scandal that’s been giving Barcelona fans the right hump for months.
Contradicting senior managers
What makes López’s admission particularly spicy is how it directly contradicts recent testimony from former first-team managers:
- Luis Enrique previously stated: “Neither in my first stint with the reserve team nor later with the first team were we offered referee reports”
- Ernesto Valverde testified: “Neither I nor anyone on my staff were offered referee reports” before adding he “didn’t need them anyway”
The admission
López’s statement cuts through these denials with remarkable clarity: “Negreira is a historic mistake by Barça, but from there to buying referees… I was with the reserve team and received referee reports from Negreira’s son, which were super useful to me.”
This admission aligns with Barcelona’s consistent justification for the payments to Negreira - that they were simply purchasing referee analysis reports. However, the conflicting testimonies raise serious questions about who at the club actually received these reports and whether they were worth the substantial sums paid.
Broader implications
The Negreira case continues to cast a long shadow over Barcelona, with investigations ongoing into whether payments to the former vice-president of the Spanish refereeing committee constituted an attempt to influence officials.
López’s testimony adds another layer of complexity to a case that’s already turning into a proper dog’s dinner for the Catalan club’s reputation and legal standing.