Real Madrid Submits 50,000-Page Dossier to UEFA Over Barcelona Payments Case
Real Madrid has submitted a massive dossier exceeding 50,000 pages to UEFA, detailing what the club describes as “evidence of extraordinary gravity” regarding historical payments made by Barcelona to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee. European football’s governing body confirmed it is assessing the documents.
The Core Allegations and the Negreira Payments Timeline
The controversy centers on approximately 8.4 million euros paid by Barcelona to Negreira and his company, Dasnil 95, between 2001 and 2018. While the arrangement has been scrutinized under allegations of referee corruption, Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing since the matter came to light in 2023. The Catalan club maintains that the funds were disbursed exclusively for legitimate scouting and technical reports concerning match officials.
Real Madrid’s newly filed documentation explicitly targets the integrity of domestic competition and confidence in the officiating infrastructure. Real Madrid issued a public statement urging officials to expedite the investigation and “adopt the corresponding decisions in accordance with the seriousness of the proven facts.”
UEFA and Spanish Legal Frameworks
UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspectors have classified the newly delivered documents as “substantial” and integrated them into an ongoing review of the matter. However, European football regulators previously concluded in June 2023 that Barcelona would face no immediate sporting punishment, allowing the club to maintain uninterrupted participation in UEFA club competitions.
| Entity | Stance / Action Taken | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | Submitted 50,000-page dossier | Demanding swift UEFA resolution |
| Barcelona | Maintains payments were for scouting | Awaiting formal UEFA requests |
| UEFA | Assessing documents via inspectors | Review ongoing; no new proceedings opened |
Barcelona’s Response and Ongoing Court Proceedings
Barcelona countered Real Madrid’s latest maneuver by emphasizing that UEFA has not initiated any fresh formal proceedings. In an official statement, Barcelona noted that investigators appointed in 2023 have continually maintained their file without closure, and the club has complied with all compliance requests. Furthermore, Barcelona highlighted that the entire dossier remains bound to ongoing criminal proceedings within the Spanish court system.
Meanwhile, La Liga president Javier Tebas noted in March 2023 that the competition body could not independently sanction the club under sports law because the timeline had exceeded the statutory limitation period, though criminal investigations continue to operate under a separate legal framework.
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