Negreira case: Barca and Madrid both release statements as La Liga war escalates

News

FT Desk

The Negreira case in Spanish football took another turn this week after new evidence was submitted to UEFA by Real Madrid.

Barcelona have been ordered by a Spanish court to provide every and all documents relating to €7 million worth of payments made to one Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira - the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).

The payments to Negreira were made between 2001 and 2018.

The situation was then exacerbated as investigators found that there was no paper trail available for these payments. If there once was a paper trail, it has been lost.

The legal process is ongoing, and on Thursday, UEFA confirmed that Madrid had provided new evidence to be examined.

"UEFA can confirm that it has received from Real Madrid CF a substantial amount of documents related to the ongoing investigation into FC Barcelona in the matter involving José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (the so-called 'Negreira matter')," a statement said.

"The UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have also received these latest documents which they will assess as part of their ongoing review."

Barcelona were quick to point out that, despite reports to the contrary, these documents did not catalyse a new investigation and that they are part of the ongoing investigation that has been happening since 2023.

The club said:

"In response to the reports published regarding the alleged reactivation of the UEFA proceedings in the Negreira case, FC Barcelona wishes to make the following clarifications:

"UEFA has not opened any new proceedings against FC Barcelona. The proceedings were initiated in 2023, with the appointment of two investigators who have since carried out the action they deemed appropriate. The Club has always complied with all their requests. These proceedings have not been reopened because they have never been closed.

"The UEFA statement confirms receipt of documentation submitted by Real Madrid and indicates that the investigators will assess it within the framework of the existing investigation. The same text expressly refers, on two occasions, to an investigation and a review that are “ongoing.” It therefore does not announce the opening, reopening, or reactivation of any proceedings, nor does it contain any assessment of the substance or value of the documentation provided.

"It is up to the investigators to determine what action, if any, they consider appropriate regarding this documentation. 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.

"In accordance with the applicable legislation governing this matter, these proceedings are subject to the outcome of the criminal case currently being heard in Spain and will continue to be so.

"Since the investigation began, FC Barcelona has continued to obtain its UEFA licence without objection and has participated in UEFA competitions."

In his Christmas address to Madrisistas last December, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called the investigation "the most serious case" in football today.

Barcelona allege that the payments were made for consulting purposes as Negreira provided them with scouting reports on referees.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas previously said that Barcelona would and should have been relegated for their involvement in the 'Negreira Case' had it not been for the statute of limitations expiring.

Real Madrid statement

Real Madrid confirmed the new evidence had been sent to UEFA in the hope that there can now be some kind of progress in the investigation, saying in a statement:

"In light of the communication issued today by UEFA regarding the so-called 'Negreira case,' Real Madrid C.F. states the following:

"UEFA has confirmed the receipt of the complaint filed by Real Madrid C.F. and the continuation of the investigation concerning payments made over the past two decades by F.C. Barcelona to the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees.

"The complaint filed by our club includes extensive documentation and evidence regarding events of extraordinary seriousness, which directly affect the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system.

"Real Madrid C.F. considers it essential that, now that UEFA has this documentation, the investigation proceeds with the utmost urgency until its full conclusion, and that the competent bodies take the appropriate decisions in accordance with the severity of the verified facts.

"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."