The dispute began when Álvaro Arbeloa described the Negreira case as the most serious scandal in Spanish football history. Joan Laporta countered by stating that Real Madrid has historically influenced referees for seventy years, advising them to stay quiet.
“"For him to say that referees helped Barça is a fallacy. I think they are better off staying quiet."
In a separate development, the Technical Committee of Referees admitted that Girona's goal at Montilivi should have been disallowed. They confirmed that Claudio Echeverry fouled Jules Koundé, an action that the VAR failed to correct despite it being a clear and obvious error.
