Negreira case: Real Madrid files a complaint with UEFA and increases the pressure on Barça

The Negreira affair continues to cause tension in Spanish football. Real Madrid has decided to maintain pressure on FC Barcelona and has submitted to UEFA a voluminous dossier detailing payments made by the Catalan club to José María Enríquez Negreira, former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).

According to information provided by Real Madrid, the file submitted to the European body contains nearly 50,000 pages and includes documents and testimonies that the club considers likely to shed light on the allegations against Barça.

UEFA has confirmed it received the complaint from Real Madrid and is continuing its investigation. This confirmation prompted Real Madrid to release a new statement reaffirming its position.

"UEFA has confirmed receipt of the complaint filed by Real Madrid and the continuation of the investigation into payments made over the past two decades by FC Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, who was vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees," the club said.

Real Madrid believes the evidence presented is significant enough to warrant a thorough investigation. The club, led by Florentino Pérez, claims to have provided substantial documentation regarding incidents it considers potentially damaging to the integrity of competitions and public trust in refereeing.

The Madrid team is now asking UEFA to carry out its investigations to the end and invites the competent authorities to draw the consequences of any established facts.

"Real Madrid believes it is essential that, now that UEFA has this documentation, the investigation proceeds with the greatest speed until its full conclusion and that the competent bodies take the corresponding decisions based on the seriousness of the accredited facts," the statement continued.

The Merengue club also assures that it wants to continue to cooperate with UEFA in order to shed full light on this matter, in the name of the principles of integrity, transparency and fair play.

Beyond the European investigation, Real Madrid is pursuing a position with particularly serious consequences for its arch-rival. The Madrid club wants FC Barcelona to be stripped of the titles won during the period in question, between 2001 and 2018, should the relevant authorities establish violations justifying such sanctions.

The Negreira affair is therefore far from over. Payments made over several years by Barça to a company linked to the former head of the CTA continue to be investigated, while Real Madrid intends to play an active role in the proceedings.