Barcelona have responded after Real Madrid submitted a substantial amount of documentation to UEFA in connection with the long-running Negreira case, insisting that the European governing body has not opened or reopened any new disciplinary proceedings against the club.
UEFA confirmed on Thursday that it had received documents from Real Madrid relating to its ongoing investigation into Barcelona and payments made to Jos Mara Enrquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
“The UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have also received these latest documents, which they will assess as part of their ongoing review,” UEFA said in a statement.
Real Madrid subsequently issued a strongly worded statement, saying its complaint contained extensive documentation and evidence concerning what it described as serious events affecting the integrity of competition and confidence in the refereeing system.
The Spanish giants urged UEFA to move with “the utmost urgency” and called on the relevant bodies to take appropriate action in accordance with the severity of the facts.
The latest development was widely reported as a fresh move in UEFA’s investigation into Barcelona. However, the Catalan club moved quickly to dispute that interpretation.
BARCELONA ISSUE CLARIFICATION
Barcelona said the UEFA proceedings began in 2023, when two investigators were appointed, and stressed that the process had never been 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 have never been closed.”
Barcelona said UEFA’s statement simply confirmed that it had received documents submitted by Real Madrid and that the investigators would assess them within the framework of the existing 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 made no 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 consider appropriate regarding this documentation,” the club said.
“As of today, they have not made any new requests to FC Barcelona nor have they forwarded Real Madrid’s complaint to the Club. Should they do so, the Club will respond accordingly, as it has done up to now.”
WHAT IS THE NEGREIRA CASE?
The case centres on payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to Negreira, who served as vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee.
Barcelona paid around €8.4 million to companies associated with Negreira between 2001 and 2018.
The club has consistently denied any attempt to influence refereeing decisions, maintaining that the payments were for technical reports and analysis relating to referees.
Barcelona have also rejected suggestions that the payments were intended to secure favourable treatment from match officials.
The case has nevertheless 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 is established.
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 football history” and criticised Spanish football authorities over their handling of the matter.
REAL MADRID DEMAND URGENT ACTION
Real Madrid said its latest complaint contained “extensive documentation and evidence” relating to events which, in the club’s view, affected the integrity of 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 actively collaborate with UEFA and take all actions within its power to clarify events that it deems incompatible with the principles of integrity, transparency, and fair play that should govern European football,” Real Madrid said.
Reports have claimed that Real Madrid have asked UEFA to impose sporting sanctions on Barcelona, including stripping the club of the La Liga titles it won during the period in which payments were made to companies linked to Negreira.
The reported dossier is said to run to around 50,000 pages.
However, UEFA’s public statement does not announce any new disciplinary proceedings against Barcelona. It confirms only that the governing body has received the documents and that its Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors will assess them as part of their ongoing review.
BARCELONA STRESS COOPERATION WITH UEFA
Barcelona also stressed that the UEFA proceedings remain subject to the outcome of the criminal case currently being heard in Spain.
The club said it had continued to obtain its UEFA licence without objection since the investigation began and had continued to participate in European competitions.
Barcelona reiterated that it would continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities and called for “rigour and accuracy” in the reporting of the case.
The latest exchange has once again brought the long-running dispute between Spain’s two biggest clubs into the spotlight.
Real Madrid believe the latest documents warrant urgent scrutiny and possible action, while Barcelona insist that 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 remained ongoing since 2023.
The next step will rest with UEFA’s Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors, who will assess the documents submitted by Real Madrid as part of their continuing review of the Negreira matter.
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