Josep Pedrerol has interviewed Ángel Villar, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation. He took the opportunity to bring up the recurring theme of Negreira.
Angel Villar has stunned Josep Pedrerol with revelations that he had't expected. In a few words, Villar tells Pedrerol that Negreira had no responsibility for the referees.
"Negreira Had No Responsibilities in Regard to Awards and Punishments Given to Referees"
This is how Villar explained it:
"I appointed him. But he had no responsibility for the appointment of referees, nor did he have responsibility for appointing international referees. Nor did he have responsibility for proposing the promotion and demotion of referees."
This way, Villar dismantles the theory supported by Pedrerol and a good part of the Madrid/Madrid press that Barça benefited from Negreira rigging the competition.
Little could be done to rig the competition if Negreira couldn't appoint the referees or reward them with promotions and caps or punish them with relegation.
Villar added: "We found out afterwards that he was receiving money from Barça, as many people found out later."
Pedrerol asks him: "Did Negreira fail you?"
"Why don't we stop talking about Negreira?"
Answer: "Since this is a topic that is currently in criminal proceedings, why don't we stop talking about it?"
The anser from "Judge" Pedrerol and his particular concept of justice. "Because it's been proven that the vice-president of the referees received payment and that shouldn't be judged."
Villar concludes: "I appointed him but without knowing that he was being paid by FC Barcelona. Otherwise, we wouldn't have named him. Do you think I'm going to name him knowing that he is paid by Barcelona?"
Pedrerol didn't expect the former president of the Federation to deny any kind of responsibility on Negreira in the appointments, awards and punishments to referees.
It's been two years since the Negreira scandal broke out and still no evidence has emerged incriminating FC Barcelona in match-fixing.
No Proof of Match-Fixing in 17 Years
There are many referees affected by 17 years of Negreira's payments. Not a single one, however, has admitted the slightest suggestion by the then vice-president of the Committee to favor Barça.
This is not because the media hasn't paid attention. The Attorney General's Office, the Civil Guard, the main investigative journalism in Madrid: Not a single piece of evidence confirming that Barça rigged the competition.
But even though the case is in lawsuit, Pedrerol doesn't miss the opportunity to use the issue as an argument. He'll know what dark interests are involved.