UEFA is continuing its investigation into Barcelona in the long-running Negreira case after receiving a substantial dossier of documents from Real Madrid, adding another chapter to the bitter rivalry between the Spanish giants.
UEFA confirmed Thursday that its Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors had received the material submitted by Real Madrid and would assess it as part of the investigation that has been ongoing since 2023.
"UEFA can confirm that it has received from Real Madrid CF a substantial amount of documents related to the ongoing investigation into FC Barcelona,” European football's governing body said.
The documents concern Barcelona's payments to companies linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
UEFA stressed that the material would be considered within its existing investigation. Barcelona subsequently said the announcement did not represent the opening or reopening of a disciplinary case, noting that the original proceedings had never been closed.
The latest development follows months of renewed pressure from Real Madrid, which has repeatedly urged UEFA to examine the case and has submitted additional material to the governing body.
Madrid call for urgency
Real Madrid said its complaint contained extensive documentation and evidence concerning what it described as serious events that affected confidence in the refereeing system and the integrity of competition.
The club called on UEFA to proceed with the investigation with the "utmost urgency” and continue the process through to its conclusion.
"Once UEFA has this documentation, the investigation must proceed with the utmost urgency until its full conclusion,” Real Madrid said, adding that it would continue cooperating with the European governing body.
Spanish media have reported that the material runs to tens of thousands of pages, with AS reporting a dossier of about 50,000 pages. That figure has not been independently confirmed by UEFA in its statement.
Real Madrid has been involved in the Spanish proceedings as a private prosecutor and has maintained that the payments made by Barcelona to companies associated with Negreira warrant extensive scrutiny.
The club also submitted a written statement to UEFA in June, saying it had evidence it believed reinforced concerns about prolonged payments to Negreira.
Barcelona refute
Barcelona rejected descriptions of the latest development as the reopening of a UEFA investigation.
The club said UEFA had not opened new proceedings and that the investigation began in 2023 with the appointment of two inspectors. Barcelona said it had complied with their requests and that the inspectors would now determine what, if any, action should follow from Real Madrid's documentation.
Barcelona also said it had not received any new request from UEFA or been formally presented with Real Madrid's complaint as of Thursday.
The club reiterated that the UEFA process remains connected to the criminal proceedings in Spain and said it has continued to obtain UEFA licenses and participate in European competitions since the investigation began.
Barcelona has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying the payments were for technical services, including reports and advice concerning refereeing and players. The club has previously maintained that documentation exists to support the services it says were provided.
Back to 2023
UEFA appointed Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors on March 23, 2023, to investigate a potential violation of its legal framework by Barcelona in connection with the Negreira case.
The case concerns payments made by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 to companies linked to Negreira, who was a senior figure within Spain's refereeing structure during much of that period.
The total value of the payments has been reported differently depending on which transactions and accounting periods are included, with figures generally cited at more than 7 million euros ($7.9 million) and around 8.4 million euros.
Barcelona has said the payments were connected to legitimate consultancy and refereeing-related services. Prosecutors and critics have questioned why a club maintained such a long-running financial relationship with a person who held a senior position within Spain's refereeing system.
UEFA's investigation was already active when Barcelona entered the 2023-24 Champions League. The club was provisionally admitted to UEFA competitions while the inspectors were instructed to continue and finalize their work.
The European governing body has yet to announce a disciplinary decision against Barcelona in the case.
Spanish case remains separate
The UEFA process is running alongside the criminal investigation in Spain, where the Negreira case has remained in the evidence-gathering phase.
A Spanish court rejected an initial bribery allegation in 2024 after determining that Negreira did not meet the legal definition of a public official required for that charge. Other potential offenses connected to the case have continued to be examined.
The central dispute remains whether Barcelona's payments represented legitimate refereeing consultancy or were connected to an improper effort to influence the refereeing system.
No court has established that Barcelona fixed matches as a result of the payments.