The controversy surrounding José María Enríquez Negreira, former vice president of the Spanish Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), has resurfaced, prompting reflections from those who were on the pitch during his tenure. César Noval, a former LaLiga assistant referee who worked during Negreira’s time at the CTA, recently broke his silence in an interview with El Chiringuito, offering a perspective that distances the on-field officials from the scandal.
Noval insisted that referees on the field were largely unaffected by any potential irregularities. “I never received any directive, nor intention, nor anything similar,” he explained. He acknowledged that while there may have been unusual circumstances, they did not influence refereeing decisions: “Is there something strange? Yes. But for us on the pitch, it did not affect us at all.”
Regarding Negreira’s capacity to influence, Noval described it as “relative.” While the ex-vice president could adjust a “corrective index” that impacted referee evaluations and career progression, Noval emphasized that direct instructions for specific matches were never given. “You could favor someone slightly by choosing a more permissive referee, less permissive… but beyond that, direct influence, saying ‘in this match you have to,’ really, no,” he noted.
Noval also shed light on the role of Javier Enríquez, Negreira’s son, who acted as a sporting coach for referees. “The only thing we had related to Negreira was some talks from his son, who was a fantastic coach,” Noval said, describing pre-match discussions as light and motivational rather than manipulative.
Interestingly, Noval’s comments about club interactions highlighted a stark contrast. While he noted that some clubs like Athletic Club occasionally provided small gestures or Russian teams gifted luxury watches, he reserved the highest praise for Real Madrid. “I always say it: the team that treated me best as a referee was Real Madrid,” he stated. Noval recalled that the club accommodated requests for family attendance at games and even invited his parents to exclusive boxes, including at the Emirates Stadium: “That is appreciated; we are people,” he added.
