Real Madrid has urged UEFA to expedite its investigation into the so-called Negreira case after the European football governing body confirmed the receipt of a comprehensive dossier from Real Madrid on Thursday. This case involves allegations that Barcelona paid millions to companies owned by José María Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spain's refereeing committee, from 2001 to 2018 in an attempt to influence referee decisions.
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Barcelona has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the payments were for refereeing reports and advice. UEFA's recent statement marked a development in its ongoing investigation, which began in 2023, alongside a concurrent Spanish criminal case.
Barcelona reportedly paid over 7.3 million euros (approximately $7.95 million) to Negreira’s companies during the specified period. In March 2023, Spanish prosecutors formally charged Barcelona, along with two former presidents—Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell—as well as Negreira and his son, Javier Enriquez Negreira, with corruption. The club faces accusations of sports corruption, fraudulent management, and falsification of documentation, all of which it has denied, maintaining that the payments were legitimate.
In June 2023, UEFA's investigators determined that Barcelona would not face any punishment, allowing the club to continue participating in European competitions.
Real Madrid’s principal accusations involve sports corruption and manipulation of referee outcomes through financial transactions to Negreira. The club has expressed significant concern over the allegations and has requested that Barcelona be stripped of the nine titles won from 2001 to 2018, during which the payments were made.
On Thursday night, UEFA, Real Madrid, and Barcelona each released separate statements. UEFA confirmed the receipt of a substantial number of documents, reportedly about 50,000 pages, from Real Madrid for the investigation. Real Madrid stated that it provided detailed evidence concerning serious issues affecting the integrity of football competitions and encouraged urgent progress in the investigation.
Barcelona clarified that the new developments are part of the ongoing investigation and emphasized that no additional requests had been made to them. They reiterated their readiness to respond if such requests were made.
Additionally, reports suggest that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and Barcelona representatives have been summoned for a conciliation hearing on November 25 following legal action initiated by Barcelona over statements made by Pérez regarding the Negreira case. Barcelona is seeking to compel Pérez to retract what it describes as defamatory remarks, with the potential for criminal complaints if the conciliation fails.
As for the upcoming El Clasico, scheduled for October 25 in La Liga, the ongoing investigation will not impact the match scheduling, though it may add further tension to the rivalry between the two clubs.