Barcelona reacts after Real Madrid present UEFA with new evidence in Negreira case
Barcelona responded after Real Madrid submitted a significant amount of documentation to UEFA in relation to Negreira’s long-running case, insisting that the European governing body had not opened or reopened any new disciplinary proceedings against the club.
UEFA confirmed on Thursday that it had received documents from Real Madrid regarding its ongoing investigation into Barcelona and the payments to Jos Mara Enrquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Commission of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
“UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary inspectors have also received these latest documents, which they will consider as part of their ongoing review,” UEFA said in a statement.
Real Madrid subsequently issued a strong statement saying its complaint contained extensive documentation and evidence relating to what it described as serious incidents affecting the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system.
The Spanish giants urged UEFA to act with “maximum urgency” and called on the relevant authorities to take appropriate action in accordance with the gravity of the facts.
The latest development was widely reported as a new step in UEFA’s investigation into Barcelona. However, the Catalan club quickly disputed this interpretation.
EXPLANATION OF THE BARCELONA EDITION
Barcelona said UEFA proceedings began in 2023when two investigators were appointed and stressed that the process was never closed.
“UEFA has not opened any new proceedings against FC Barcelona,” the club said.
“The club has always complied with all their requests. These proceedings have not been reopened because they were never closed.”
Barcelona said UEFA’s statement only confirmed that it had received the documents submitted by Real Madrid and that investigators would consider them as part of the ongoing investigation.
The club also highlighted UEFA’s use of the words “ongoing investigation” and “ongoing review”, arguing that the statement did not announce the opening, reopening or reactivation of any proceedings.
Barcelona added that UEFA had not made any assessment of the substance or value of the documents submitted by Real Madrid.
“It is up to the investigators to determine what action, if any, they deem appropriate in relation to this documentation,” the club said.
“To date, they have not made any new requests to FC Barcelona, nor have they forwarded the complaint to Real Madrid to the club. If they do, the club will respond accordingly, as they have done so far.”
WHAT IS THE NEGREIRA CASE?
The case centers on payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to Negreira, who served as vice president of Spain’s refereeing committee.
Between 2001 and 2018, Barcelona paid companies associated with Negreira approximately €8.4 million.
The club has consistently denied any attempt to influence the referees’ decisions and claims the payments were for technical reports and analysis relating to the referees.
Barcelona also rejected suggestions that the payments were intended to secure favorable treatment from match referees.
Still, the case remained a major source of tension between Barcelona and Real Madrid, with the Madrid club repeatedly calling for a full investigation and sporting consequences if wrongdoing was proven.
Real Madrid have also been vocal about the wider implications of the case. Club president Florentino Perez previously described the Negreira affair as “the biggest scandal in the history of football” and criticized Spanish football authorities for their handling of the matter.
REAL MADRID REQUESTS URGENT ACTION
Real Madrid said its latest complaint contained “extensive documentation and evidence” relating to events which the club believed affected the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system.
The club called for the investigation to proceed as quickly as possible and said it would continue to cooperate with UEFA.
“Our club will continue to cooperate actively with UEFA and will take all measures in its power to clarify events that it considers incompatible with the principles of integrity, transparency and fair play that should govern European football,” Real Madrid said.
Reports claimed that Real Madrid had asked UEFA to impose sporting sanctions on Barcelona, including stripping the club of the La Liga titles it won during the period when payments were made to companies linked to Negreira.
The said documentation is said to have around 50,000 pages.
However, UEFA’s public statement does not announce any new disciplinary action against Barcelona. It merely confirms that the governing body has received the documents and that its Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors will consider them as part of their ongoing review.
BARCELONA STRESSFUL COOPERATION WITH UEFA
Barcelona also stressed that UEFA’s action remains dependent on the outcome of the criminal proceedings currently under way in Spain.
The club said it had continued to obtain its UEFA license without objection and continued to compete in European competitions since the investigation began.
Barcelona reiterated that it would continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities and called for “rigor and precision” in reporting the case.
The latest exchange of views once again brought the long-standing dispute between the two biggest Spanish clubs into the spotlight.
Real Madrid believe the latest documents require immediate review and possible action, while Barcelona insist there is no new UEFA case and that the material submitted by their rivals is simply being assessed as part of an investigation that has been ongoing since 2023.
The next step will rest with UEFA’s Ethics and Disciplinary inspectors, who will review the documents submitted by Real Madrid as part of their ongoing review of the Negreira matter.
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