FC Barcelona accused of corruption in Negreira case: All you need to know
Real Madrid has asked UEFA to finish its review of the Negreira case as quickly as possible. The governing body confirmed it received documents from the Madrid club on Thursday.
The case concerns payments Barcelona allegedly made from 2001 to 2018 to companies owned by José María Enríquez Negreira, a former deputy head of Spain’s refereeing committee. Prosecutors have brought charges including sports corruption; Barcelona rejects them.
Barcelona says the money paid for technical reports and advice on refereeing, and denies any conflict of interest. The club says UEFA’s current review is not a reopened case, because the proceedings were never closed.
UEFA said its ethics investigators will assess the latest material as part of their ongoing review. Real Madrid says the documents relate to the integrity of competition and confidence in refereeing.
UEFA investigators decided in June 2023 that Barcelona would not be punished, and the club has since continued playing in European competitions. Barcelona says it has not received new requests from UEFA and will respond if it does.
Key points
- Real Madrid submitted documents to UEFA and called for its review to conclude urgently.
- Barcelona denies wrongdoing and says payments covered refereeing reports and advice.
- UEFA investigators will assess the new material; Barcelona says the review remains ongoing.