Real Madrid have urged UEFA to proceed with its investigation into the so-called ‘Negreira case’ after the European football governing body confirmed receipt of the club’s complaint concerning payments made by Barcelona to a former senior refereeing official.
In a statement on Thursday on its website, Real Madrid said UEFA had confirmed receipt of its complaint and the continuation of its investigation into payments allegedly made over a period of about two decades by FC Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, who served as vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.
The Madrid club said it had submitted extensive documentation and evidence which, in its view, raised serious questions about the integrity of competition and confidence in the refereeing system.
“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 club said.
“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.”
Real Madrid said its complaint was intended to ensure that the matter was fully examined by the appropriate football authorities.
“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,” the club said.
It added that it would continue to cooperate with UEFA while pursuing what it described as necessary steps to establish the 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,” Real Madrid said.
The Negreira case centres on payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to Negreira, who was vice-president of the refereeing committee between 1994 and 2018.
Spanish prosecutors alleged that the payments were intended to influence refereeing decisions, although Barcelona have denied seeking favourable treatment and have maintained that the payments were for technical refereeing reports and advice.
UEFA formally appointed Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors in March 2023 to investigate a potential violation of its legal framework by Barcelona in connection with the case.
The case has also been investigated by Spanish authorities, with the allegations concerning whether the payments could have affected the integrity of football competitions. The existence of the payments themselves is not in dispute; the central issue has included their purpose and whether they constituted sporting or other wrongdoing.
