Real Madrid and Barcelona raise the institutional tension over the Negreira case

Real Madrid takes the Negreira case to UEFA

The Real Madrid has announced this Wednesday that it has submitted a brief to the UEFA disciplinary bodies regarding the so-called Negreira case. The white club says it has informed the European body of new evidence which, according to its version, strengthens the indications of prolonged, opaque payments with no verifiable justification made by FC Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees.

In its statement, the Madrid club believes these facts pose a serious risk to the integrity of the competitions and asks UEFA to reopen the disciplinary file that was opened at the time. Real Madrid is calling for a “firm, exemplary and immediate” response in the sporting arena, aside from the judicial procedures that are ongoing.

Comunicado Oficial

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 17, 2026

Barça responds and points to Florentino Pérez

The response from FC Barcelona has not lagged behind. The Blaugrana club has issued a new statement in which it says that its president, Rafael Yuste, has sent a formal letter to the presidents of LaLiga, Javier Tebas; the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzán; and the Technical Committee of Referees, Francisco Soto.

The reason for this letter is the statements made by Florentino Pérez during different public appearances on May 12 and 13. FC Barcelona believes those remarks are false and that they seriously damage the honorability of the League competition, the image of the refereeing body and the credibility of Spanish professional football.

Barcelona asks for measures against the Real Madrid president

The Blaugrana statement goes one step further and asks LaLiga, the RFEF and the CTA to defend the reputation of their respective bodies. Barcelona asks that, within their respective areas of responsibility, they adopt the associative and legal measures they deem appropriate against Florentino Pérez in order to protect the honorability, integrity and prestige of the institutions they represent.

This move adds to the conciliation request that FC Barcelona had already announced against the Real Madrid president, as a step prior to a possible criminal complaint for slander. The Catalan club believes that Florentino Pérez's statements have crossed a line and is now seeking to ensure that the main bodies of Spanish football also react.

Comunicado del FC Barcelonahttps://t.co/I3qZPcbRkZ

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) June 17, 2026

Two fronts open: UEFA and Spanish football

So the standoff between Real Madrid and Barcelona enters a new dimension. Real Madrid is focusing on UEFA and the possible reopening of the disciplinary file in the Negreira case. Barcelona, meanwhile, directs its offensive toward LaLiga, the RFEF and the CTA, demanding that they act against the top white executive over statements it considers false and harmful.

The rivalry between the two clubs is once again moving off the pitch and is fully shifting to the offices, the statements and the courts. In just a few hours, Real Madrid and Barcelona have raised the stakes in an institutional battle that threatens to keep shaping the headlines of Spanish football in the coming days.

A war that keeps growing

The Negreira case continues to be one of the most sensitive issues in Spanish football. While Real Madrid insists on the need to protect the integrity of the competitions, FC Barcelona denounces a campaign which, according to its position, damages its image and that of Spanish football itself.

What is clear is that the clash between LaLiga's two biggest clubs is going through one of its most tense moments in recent years. UEFA, LaLiga, the RFEF and the CTA are now at the center of an institutional battle that has already gone far beyond sporting rivalry.