UEFA receives 50,000 Negreira case documents from Real Madrid in Barcelona inquiry

UEFA receives documentation from Real Madrid

European football governing body UEFA confirmed on 1 October 2026 that it received a substantial volume of documentation from Real Madrid concerning FC Barcelona's payments to a former referee official. The material directly relates to the case involving José María Enríquez Negreira, who previously served as vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) within the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Real Madrid submitted approximately 50,000 documents to European football authorities to support the complaint. UEFA confirmed that its Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors received the files and will incorporate them into the ongoing review of the matter. The submission follows months of preparation by Real Madrid, whose leadership had pledged to compile an extensive dossier for continental sports authorities.

Origins and scope of the Negreira inquiry

The controversy surfaced publicly on 15 February 2023, following revelations that FC Barcelona paid 8.4 million euros to Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018. Following the initial disclosures, UEFA opened formal investigative proceedings under the leadership of president Aleksander Ceferin to determine whether the payments breached disciplinary rules. However, UEFA suspended the administrative procedure in July 2023 to await the resolution of Spanish criminal court proceedings. Disciplinary regulations under Article 4 of the UEFA framework permit the governing body to issue competition bans against clubs that attempt to influence match outcomes or alter the integrity of competitions. European football authorities have maintained that any sporting sanctions will follow the conclusion of the criminal process in Spain.

Legal confrontation between club leaders

The handover of evidence follows public statements made on 12 May 2026 by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez during a press conference to call club presidential elections. Pérez stated that Real Madrid club members supported actions against the referee payments and insisted that European authorities intervene.

We are making a 500-page dossier that we are going to present to UEFA. How are we going to forget it?

In response to those accusations, FC Barcelona initiated preliminary legal steps in June 2026 by filing a pre-lawsuit conciliation claim against Pérez for alleged defamation. Barcelona stated that it would proceed with a formal criminal complaint if the matter was not resolved through the preliminary process. The formal conciliation hearing between the legal representatives of both clubs is scheduled to take place in Madrid on 25 November 2026.

Institutional relations and ongoing proceedings

While UEFA examines the newly delivered documentation, administrative dialogue between club presidents and European football leadership continues. Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently attended a football conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he held discussions with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Laporta has cultivated closer relations with Ceferin after distancing Barcelona from the European Super League project, while Real Madrid has also resolved prior disputes with UEFA. UEFA's Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors are now evaluating the 50,000 documents from Real Madrid, even as the formal disciplinary inquiry remains paused pending the ruling of Spanish courts.