Laporta Hails Court Ruling: Madrid Blocked in the Negreira Affair
31 January 2026
Overview
Barcelona president Joan Laporta welcomed the latest developments in the Negreira affair, praising Judge Alejandra Gil Lima for denying Real Madrid's request to review all reports and audits on the club from 2010 to 2021.
At a lunch with Elche's leadership, Laporta said he was glad the judge closed Madrid's door and left them stunned.
He argued that a court cannot be used to obtain a rival's inner workings, calling Madrid's demand improper and noting the judge agreed.
Laporta said Madrid's involvement is inappropriate, serving a media narrative rather than the truth.
He stressed Barça has never sought advantage by tampering with competition, and welcomed the ruling.
Concluding, he urged Madrid to compete with hard work and fairness, not by sneaking in the back door.
Punchline 1: If this were a courtroom, Madrid would be on trial for weak script quality.
Punchline 2: Their strategy would need a locksmith named Justice and a TV channel to unlock it.
