FC Barcelona has announced on its official website that the club is considering taking legal action regarding the statements made by Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez concerning the case involving the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Enríquez Negreira.
Pérez stated on Tuesday that Real Madrid is preparing a 600-page submission to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) regarding the Negreira case. The President of the “Blancos” noted that not only Real Madrid suffered due to Negreira’s actions, but other clubs as well, while the Catalan side “always came out on top.” He added that he doesn’t work “so that judges get rich at the expense of Barcelona.” Pérez also claimed that under his presidency, Real Madrid should have won 14 Spanish league titles, not seven, asserting that these titles “were stolen.”
“In response to the press conference convened by Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez, we wish to inform that our legal department is thoroughly examining his remarks and accusations. An analysis of these statements is currently underway, and next steps are being assessed. Once we deem it appropriate, we will duly communicate our position and the decisions being taken,” reads Barcelona’s statement.
In February 2023, media reports surfaced indicating that between 2016 and 2018, Barcelona paid Negreira close to 1.4 million euros for reports on referees. In March, a court accepted a complaint from the prosecution against Barcelona, alleging that the club disbursed over 7 million euros to Negreira between 2001 and 2018. Towards the end of September 2023, Barcelona was formally charged with bribery, though the court dropped these charges in May 2024. Negreira himself maintained that he merely provided consultation services to Barcelona concerning refereeing decisions: the Catalan club sought assurance that no adverse decisions would be made against them by the match officials. In October 2025, media outlets reported that Barcelona had been officially summoned to court as a party under suspicion. In December, publications indicated that Real Madrid was contemplating filing a multi-million euro lawsuit against Barcelona over this matter.
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