UEFA has received a substantial dossier from Real Madrid over the Negreira case, prompting the Spanish club to demand that the investigation into Barcelona’s alleged payments to a former refereeing official be completed with “utmost urgency”.
European football’s governing body said its ethics and disciplinary inspectors would assess the latest documents as part of their ongoing review. Reports put the dossier at about 50,000 pages.
What is the Negreira case?
The case centres on more than €7.3 million allegedly paid by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was vice-president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish football association during that period.
Barcelona has denied wrongdoing or any conflict of interest, saying the payments were for technical refereeing reports and advice. Spanish prosecutors formally charged the club, former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, Negreira and his son Javier Enriquez Negreira in March 2023.
The charges against Barcelona include corruption in sport, fraudulent management and falsification of commercial documents. The club denies the allegations.
UEFA opened its own investigation in 2023. Its investigators decided in June of that year that Barcelona would not face punishment, and the club has continued to compete in European competition.
Real Madrid’s accusations against Barcelona
Real Madrid has accused its rivals of sports corruption and of attempting to influence refereeing decisions through the payments to Negreira. The club joined the complaint brought by Spanish prosecutors, describing the alleged events as a serious concern.
Spanish media reports have said Real Madrid is seeking the removal of nine titles won by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018, the period covered by the payments.
After UEFA confirmed receipt of the dossier, Real Madrid said it had supplied extensive documentation and evidence relating to events it said affected the integrity of competition and confidence in the refereeing system.
The club called on UEFA to continue its investigation “with utmost urgency until its full conclusion”.
UEFA and Barcelona respond
UEFA said the new material would be considered as part of its continuing review. Barcelona said the development related to the existing investigation and that proceedings had not been reopened because, in its view, they had never been closed.
The club also said UEFA had not made any new requests to Barcelona or passed on Real Madrid’s complaint. It said it would respond if that happened, as it had done previously.
The dispute has also led to separate legal action involving Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. Barcelona has sought a conciliation hearing over comments he made in May, when he described the Negreira affair as “the most serious case of corruption in football” and said: “We could never have imagined Barcelona giving money to the head of the referees.”
Barcelona said the comments were knowingly false, defamatory and damaging to its reputation, warning that it would file a criminal complaint if the conciliation process failed.
The two clubs are due to meet in La Liga’s first Clasico of the season on October 25. The Negreira case will not affect the fixture’s scheduling, but the dispute adds another layer of tension to the long-running rivalry.
