UEFA handed Real Madrid dossier on Barcelona-Negreira case

Dubai: UEFA has received a “substantial amount of documents” from Real Madrid as part of its ongoing investigation into the Negreira case, European football’s governing body confirmed on Thursday.

The case centres on payments made by Barcelona over more than two decades to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees. UEFA has been investigating the matter since 2023, while a separate criminal investigation remains ongoing in Spain.

Barcelona has maintained that the payments, which exceeded €7 million ($7.9m), were for technical reports analysing refereeing.

"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," UEFA confirmed in a statement on Thursday.

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

Real Madrid said the dossier included "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," the club said.

"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 president Florentino Pérez said in May that the club was compiling evidence with the intention of presenting a dossier to UEFA.

Pérez had previously taken a more conciliatory approach towards Barcelona, saying in 2024 that the two clubs “have to help each other” as they worked together on plans for a proposed European Super League.

However, his stance towards Barcelona has since become increasingly critical.

“They've stolen seven league (titles) from me,” Pérez said in May.

Barcelona, meanwhile, sought to clarify that UEFA receiving the documents from Real Madrid did not amount to “any new proceedings.”

“The proceedings were initiated in 2023, with the appointment of two investigators who have since carried out the action they deemed appropriate,” Barcelona said. “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."