Real Madrid urges quick UEFA action in Negreira case as Barcelona says no new proceedings opened
Real Madrid
Abdullateef Fowewe
Real Madrid has called for an “urgent” conclusion to UEFA’s investigation into Barcelona’s long-running payments to José María Enríquez Negreira, after European football’s governing body confirmed it received the Spanish giants’ detailed complaint and evidence.
Barcelona, in turn, insists UEFA has not opened or reopened any new proceedings, describing the process as continuously ongoing since 2023.
In a statement released on Thursday, Real Madrid said UEFA had confirmed receipt of its complaint and documentation on the so-called “Negreira case,” which centres on payments made by Barcelona over two decades to Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees committee.
The club described the material it submitted as “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 then pressed UEFA to move quickly, “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.”
It added, “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.”
Reports say the dossier runs to tens of thousands of pages and urges UEFA to impose disciplinary measures independent of Spain’s criminal proceedings.
Barcelona issued its own statement later on Thursday to counter suggestions that UEFA had “reactivated” or opened a fresh case.
The Catalan club stressed, “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.”
It pointed to UEFA’s wording, which refers twice to an “ongoing” investigation and review, arguing this shows continuity rather than a new phase: “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… It therefore does not announce the opening, reopening, or reactivation of any proceedings.”
Barcelona also noted that, as of Thursday, investigators had not made new requests of the club nor forwarded Real Madrid’s complaint to it, but said it would respond if asked.
The club reiterated its cooperation with authorities and called for “rigour and accuracy in the reporting of this procedure.”
UEFA’s own statement, quoted by both clubs, confirmed only that it had received “a substantial amount of documents” from Real Madrid related to the ongoing Negreira investigation and that its Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors would assess them as part of their “ongoing review.”
The governing body did not comment on the substance of the allegations, the timeline for any decisions, or whether new disciplinary steps would follow.
