Florentino Pérez condemns Barcelona’s €8m referee payments
Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez
Abdullateef Fowewe
Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has criticised FC Barcelona over their payments exceeding €8 million to the vice-president of the referees during a span of 17 years.
Pérez stated, “It’s not normal for Barcelona to pay the vice-president of the referees more than €8m over 17 years, whatever the reason.”
Pérez pointed out that this extensive period of payments “coincides, coincidentally, with Barcelona’s best sporting period,” highlighting his suspicion around the timing and implications of the financial dealings.
He emphasised that this raises serious questions about fairness and integrity in Spanish football during those years.
He further elaborated on the role of the vice-president of the referees, Enriquez Negreira, who had a pivotal position in overseeing referee promotions and demotions, which adds gravity to the controversy. Pérez remarked, “I say again: whatever the reason, it is not normal,” underscoring ongoing concerns about the influence within the refereeing structure that overlapped with Barcelona’s peak performance phase.
This statement is part of a wider dispute involving the Negreira case, where Barcelona faces accusations of compromising referee impartiality through payments totaling over €8 million from 2001 to 2018.
Pérez’s comments come amid intensifying scrutiny of Spanish football governance and calls for transparency and justice.
His remarks also reflect broader criticisms directed at La Liga and its president regarding irregularities such as approving a La Liga match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami, seen by Pérez as unusual and financially motivated.
