Real Madrid president Florentino Perez launched a sweeping attack on Spanish football’s refereeing system, accusing governing bodies of failing to protect the integrity of competition and vowing that the club will not back down in its pursuit of justice in the long-running Negreira case.
Speaking at a club media event at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex, Perez said the current situation was “untenable,” criticizing football authorities for what he described as their silence and inaction.
“This cannot continue,” Perez said. “It is completely incomprehensible that football institutions are leaving Real Madrid alone in this fight.”
At the heart of Perez’s remarks was the Negreira case, the corruption investigation involving Barcelona’s payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.
Perez labeled it “the biggest scandal in football history,” arguing that its implications extend far beyond Spanish borders.
“How is it possible that we are the only ones fighting for justice in this case?” Perez said. “How can referees ask us to forget and move on? How can we forget the biggest scandal football has ever seen? We will never forget.”
Perez accused the Spanish Football Federation and LaLiga of failing in their fundamental duty to safeguard fair competition.
He stressed that the Negreira affair represents “the most serious problem facing football today, even internationally,” and said the institutions responsible for protecting the game’s credibility cannot remain indifferent.
Citing recent disclosures, Perez highlighted reports that more than 8 million euros ($9.4 million) was paid for technical refereeing reports that were allegedly never seen by the coaches meant to use them.
“Who can believe that millions of euros were paid for reports that apparently had no value, were not even delivered to coaches, and that those coaches were unaware they existed?” he asked. “This case continues to damage the image of our sport and exposes the urgent need for radical reform of Spanish refereeing.”
Perez warned that the consequences of the scandal may already have altered football history.
“It is possible that some clubs were relegated because of this,” he said, underlining the potential competitive impact of the case.
Turning to the present, Perez also pointed to recent refereeing decisions involving Real Madrid as further evidence of systemic problems.
He criticized incidents in away matches against Girona and Alaves, claiming that clear fouls on Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo inside the penalty area went unpunished.
“In our last two away games, fouls on Vinicius or Rodrygo were not given as penalties,” Perez said. “These are new refereeing issues that are specific to this season.”
He singled out the Alaves match in particular, noting that the VAR official involved was a referee who had previously threatened disciplinary action against Real Madrid just one day before a Copa del Rey final. “Can you imagine this happening in another country?” Perez asked.
Perez concluded by reaffirming the club’s stance, insisting that Real Madrid’s fight goes beyond its own interests. “We are living with the consequences of a case that highlights the need for deep, structural change,” he said. “This is not only about Real Madrid. It is about defending the integrity and credibility of football.”
