The president of Real Madrid has reignited the Negreira affair by accusing FC Barcelona of having benefited for years from a favorable refereeing system. Florentino Pérez even claims that Real Madrid was deprived of several Spanish league titles.
Florentino Pérez reignites the Negreira affair
Florentino Pérez used his press conference to bring the Negreira affair back to the forefront of the debate in Spain. The Real Madrid president directly targeted FC Barcelona, whom he accuses of having benefited for years from a system of corruption within Spanish refereeing.
The Madrid leader was particularly scathing, stating that "The Negreira affair is the biggest scandal in the history of football."He also recalled that Barça had "Paid for two decades" companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, former vice-president of the Spanish Referees Technical Committee, before adding that, even after these payments, "They are the same referees." who continued to serve.
Real Madrid claims to have been deprived of several titles
Florentino Pérez also stated that this affair would have had direct consequences on Real Madrid's record. The Madrid president was very explicit on this point: "I won 7 La Liga titles during my presidency, but I should have had 14! This season alone, 18 points were stolen, and we have video proof of that."
According to him, Real Madrid was therefore wronged in sporting terms for several seasons and could have won many more championships without what he presents as a biased refereeing environment.
Pérez claims that Real Madrid has video evidence to support its accusations. This attack may seem surprising, given how much Real Madrid (like Barcelona, for that matter) appears to have benefited from refereeing decisions in European competitions for years… Is the Madrid president a sore loser?
Real Madrid wants to take the case to UEFA
In any case, Florentino Pérez believes that Real Madrid considers this matter to be a matter of integrity for European football and intends to submit its case to UEFA. The Madrid club is preparing a comprehensive dossier to defend its position and ask the European governing body to investigate what it considers a major breach of sporting fairness.
Barcelona responds with an official statement
FC Barcelona was quick to respond. In a statement released after Florentino Pérez's remarks, the Catalan club explained that its legal department is carefully examining the statements and accusations made by the Real Madrid president.
Barça states that at this stage, the comments are being analyzed and that the next steps will be evaluated. The club also specifies that it will communicate its decisions when deemed necessary.
An explosive issue for Spanish football
As a reminder, the Negreira case concerns payments made over several years by FC Barcelona to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former high-ranking official in Spanish arbitration.
Barça acknowledges the existence of these payments, but maintains they were for technical reports on referees and consulting services. The Catalan club denies any intention of influencing refereeing decisions or match results.
This is precisely the point at which tensions are running high. For Real Madrid, these payments raise a question of sporting integrity. For Barcelona, there is no evidence at this stage to suggest that the referees or the results were influenced.
The matter could then be decided before UEFA or in court.
The next chapter will now unfold on two fronts. On one hand, Real Madrid could submit its case to UEFA to request a response from the European governing body. On the other hand, FC Barcelona could take legal action against Florentino Pérez if his statements are deemed damaging.
One thing is certain: the Negreira affair, already considered one of the most sensitive cases in Spanish football, has just taken on an explosive dimension. This time, it directly pits the two most powerful clubs in Spain against each other, with one accusation at the heart of the debate: Real Madrid believes that Barça has not only taken points from them, but also titles.
