Real: Takes legal action against Barcelona over Negreira case

In complaint against Barcelona for suspicious payments to an arbitration official participates in Real. With their announcement, the Madrid players make it known that they will support the case as having a legitimate interest.

“Real Madrid expresses its deep concern at the seriousness of the events and reiterates its full confidence in the action of justice and has agreed that, in defense of its legal interests, it will join the complaint once the judge takes over the case“, states the club’s official announcement.

Barcelona allegedly paid more than €7.3 million between 2001 and 2018 in companies owned by Jose Maria Enrique Negreira, who was vice-chairman of the arbitration committee of the Spanish football federation from 1993 to 2018. Prosecutors allege that by collusion and “in exchange for money”, Negreira favored Barcelona “in decisions made by referees in games played by the club”.

A senior Barcelona official told Reuters that the Catalan club “will fully cooperate with the authorities in the investigation by all means necessary” and “reiterates that he never bought any referee or tried to influence the decisions of any official».

In a statement last month, Barcelona denied wrongdoing, saying they had merely paid an outside consultant who provided them with “technical reports on professional arbitration”, calling it “a common practice among professional football clubs».

The complaint focuses on €2.9 million paid between 2014 and 2018 and alleges that Barcelona, ​​with the help of former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, reached a “confidential verbal agreement” with Negreira.

The club, Rochelle, Bertomeu, Negreira and two other former Barcelona officials are accused of sports corruption, mismanagement and false commercial documents.