Negreira Affair: Real Madrid Appeals to UEFA, Demands Immediate Sanctions Against Barcelona

Real Madrid has escalated the Negreira affair by directly appealing to UEFA’s disciplinary bodies, according to an official statement released by the club on Wednesday, June 17. Florentino Perez is demanding the immediate resumption of disciplinary proceedings against FC Barcelona, arguing that the situation gravely compromises « the credibility of football ».

The affair concerns alleged payments, estimated at over 7 million euros, that Barcelona reportedly made to José Maria Enriquez Negreira, former vice-president of the Spanish referees’ technical committee, between 2001 and 2018. In early December, Real Madrid had already requested an extension of the investigation with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). This time, the Madrid club is bypassing the national federation and appealing directly to UEFA.

In its letter, Real Madrid claims to possess « relevant evidence that conclusively reinforces the indications already known from the outset concerning the existence of prolonged and opaque payments, devoid of any verifiable justification ». The club does not specify the exact nature of these new elements.

Casa Blanca invokes a « systemic risk of extreme severity to the integrity of competitions » to justify the urgency of its action. It demands a response that is « firm, exemplary and immediate on the sporting stage, regardless of the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings » — a formulation that clearly signals Madrid does not wish to wait for a Spanish court verdict before seeing sporting consequences.

UEFA has not yet responded publicly to this letter. FC Barcelona, for its part, has consistently denied that these payments were intended to influence referees, presenting them as compensation for analysis and advisory services.