Real Madrid has formally requested that Barcelona be stripped of nine La Liga titles won between 2001 and 2018, amid reports that UEFA has reopened an investigation into the Negreira case. It is alleged that Barcelona paid €8.4 million (£7.3 million) to companies associated with José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice president of the Spanish football refereeing committee, during that period. Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming the payments were for technical reports and did not seek to influence referees' decisions.
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has described the situation as a 'gigantic reputational discrediting campaign' fueled by 'defamatory insinuations.' In contrast, Real Madrid has been an advocate for deeper investigations and potential disciplinary action. Last December, Madrid president Florentino Pérez condemned the Negreira case as the 'biggest scandal in football history' and expressed frustration that his club felt isolated in their efforts for justice.
A report from AS indicates that Real Madrid has submitted a complaint to UEFA that includes extensive documentation regarding the alleged misconduct. Real Madrid's statement emphasized the seriousness of the allegations affecting competition integrity and requested swift action from the relevant authorities.
Barcelona countered these claims with a statement asserting that no new proceedings have been opened against them by UEFA. They clarified that investigations had begun in 2023 and that they have complied with all requests from UEFA's investigators. Barcelona added that they have not received any new requests related to Real Madrid's complaint.
UEFA confirmed receipt of Real Madrid's documentation and noted that their Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors would review this as part of the ongoing investigation. Barcelona reiterated its commitment to cooperating fully with the authorities and emphasized the need for accurate reporting on the matter.