Barcelona Deny Fresh UEFA Case After Real Madrid Negreira Complaint
Barcelona have insisted UEFA has not launched a fresh case against the club after Real Madrid submitted a new body of material to the governing body over the Negreira payments investigation.
UEFA has confirmed it received Real Madrid’s complaint and supporting documents, which concern payments Barcelona made over two decades to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees. The inspectors already assigned to UEFA’s existing inquiry will assess the submission.
Barcelona moved quickly to reject suggestions that the case had been reopened, expanded or reactivated. The club said the UEFA process remains the same investigation begun in 2023, when two inspectors were appointed to examine the matter.
Barcelona: no new UEFA file
The Catalan club said UEFA’s wording referred only to an inquiry already under way and did not make any finding on the contents or significance of Madrid’s evidence.
Barcelona said the investigation cannot be described as reopened because it was never closed. The club added that it has complied with every request made by football authorities and will continue to cooperate.
Barca have not been given the details of the documents lodged by Real Madrid, nor have UEFA’s investigators made a further request to the club or formally passed on Madrid’s complaint. Barcelona said it would answer appropriately if that changes.
The club also maintained that UEFA’s eventual decision is tied to the criminal proceedings continuing in Spain, with the continental case subject to the outcome of that process.
Madrid demand swift resolution
Real Madrid said its complaint contained extensive documentation and evidence relating to matters it considers exceptionally serious, arguing that the allegations affect competition integrity and trust in the refereeing system.
The Spanish champions have called for the matter to be resolved as quickly as possible. Barcelona, however, believe Madrid’s intervention does not alter the legal status of UEFA’s continuing inquiry.
What happens next
UEFA’s inspectors will now decide whether Madrid’s material requires any action within the existing file. Barcelona say they will respond should the investigators seek further information or disclose the complaint.
The dispute comes amid another legal confrontation between the clubs. A Madrid court has ordered a mandatory conciliation hearing for November 25, 2026 in Barcelona’s defamation action against Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Barcelona are seeking a public withdrawal of Perez’s claims of “systemic corruption” and “stolen” La Liga titles, and have warned that a criminal complaint could follow if no retraction is made. Hansi Flick’s side remain focused on football matters while the club prepares for the next legal step.
