UEFA Reviews Negreira Case Documents as Barcelona and Real Madrid Clash

UEFA has received a substantial dossier and documents from Real Madrid concerning FC Barcelona and the ongoing Negreira case. The European governing body confirmed that its ethics and disciplinary inspectors are assessing the recent submissions as part of an active review into payments made to José María Enríquez Negreira.

Real Madrid Submits 50,000 Pages of Evidence

Real Madrid delivered 50,000 pages containing thousands of documents, evidence, and statements to UEFA headquarters in Nyon. The submission aims to secure a formal disciplinary file over the Negreira case and its potential consequences. It was noted that while Spanish sports authorities view the matter as time-barred, UEFA maintains that the situation is a live issue.

Between 2001 and 2018, Barcelona paid €8.4 million ($9.51 million) to José María Enríquez Negreira during his tenure as vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. UEFA intends to investigate the purpose of those payments, the intentions of the Catalan club, and the reach of any influence derived from the referee reports produced.

Barcelona Denies New Disciplinary Proceedings

FC Barcelona countered those interpretations by issuing an official statement asserting that UEFA has simply confirmed receipt of the documentation submitted by Real Madrid. The Catalan club maintains that European football’s governing body has not opened, reopened, or reactivated any disciplinary proceedings.

The Blaugrana insisted in their statement that proceedings began in 2023 with the appointment of two investigators and that those proceedings were never closed. Barcelona added that they have not received any new requests from UEFA, nor have they been sent the complaint or dossier submitted by Real Madrid. The club reiterated its full cooperation with authorities and requested precision in reporting.

Real Madrid Seeks Titles Stripped from Barcelona

Real Madrid has formally requested that Barcelona be stripped of the titles won during the seasons the club paid Negreira. Under Article 4 of UEFA regulations, the governing body holds the power to ban a team from European competitions if it determines a club attempted to distort the natural order of competition.

When the case emerged in April 2023, Aleksander Čeferin described the situation as one of the gravest he had seen in football, noting that while domestic competitive consequences were limited by Spanish time-bar rules, civil prosecutor proceedings and UEFA reviews remained active.

Inspectors Evaluate Documentation for Review

UEFA stated that its Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors received the recent documents and will assess them within the framework of the ongoing review. It was reported that the next procedural step involves the appointed inspector examining the evidence in detail, gathering direct statements from involved parties, and reviewing formal submissions from Barcelona.