Real Madrid believe UEFA now has enough information to consider possible disciplinary action against Barcelona in connection with the long-running Negreira case.
UEFA confirmed on Thursday that it had received a substantial amount of documentation from Real Madrid concerning Barcelona and the payments made to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing technical committee. UEFA said its ethics and disciplinary inspectors would consider the new material as part of their ongoing investigation.
Real Madrid subsequently called for the UEFA investigation to proceed with the “maximum speed” and said the documents it submitted concern matters it considers serious enough to affect the integrity of competitions and confidence in the refereeing system.
According to reports from Spanish media, Real Madrid believe the dossier could strengthen the case for UEFA disciplinary action against Barcelona. Reports have also suggested that potential sporting consequences could include exclusion from European competitions, although no such punishment has been announced by UEFA.
Barcelona, however, has rejected the suggestion that UEFA has reopened or launched a new case against the club. In a statement, the Catalan side said the proceedings began in 2023 and have remained ongoing rather than being closed and subsequently reopened.
Barcelona also said UEFA’s latest communication simply confirms that the governing body has received documents submitted by Real Madrid and that investigators will assess them as part of the existing investigation. The club stressed that UEFA has not yet made any assessment of the substance or value of the new material.
The Negreira case concerns payments made by Barcelona over a number of years to companies linked to Negreira. Spanish authorities have been investigating whether the payments amounted to improper influence over refereeing matters. Barcelona has denied wrongdoing and has maintained that the payments were for technical reports and football-related advice.
UEFA has previously had its own proceedings concerning Barcelona’s participation in European competitions placed on hold, with the possibility of reopening the matter under certain circumstances. The latest documentation from Real Madrid has now brought renewed attention to that process.
For now, Barcelona remain eligible to compete in UEFA competitions, and there has been no final disciplinary decision against the club in the latest development. Any potential sporting sanction would depend on the outcome of UEFA’s investigation and the applicable disciplinary procedures.
The latest exchange therefore marks another significant development in the long-running Negreira case, but it does not yet amount to a UEFA ban or a final finding against Barcelona.