Real Madrid investigate Barcelona to expose the Negreira scandal

Based on reports from AS, the Madrid-based club has submitted a formal request to the courts to examine Barcelona’s internal accounting and invoices between 2010 and 2018. The investigation focuses on significant payments directed to various firms associated with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who previously served as the Vice President of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).

The legal representatives of Real Madrid have identified five essential demands for the court. To begin with, they are seeking access to all internal audits that confirmed payments to companies like Dasnil 95 and Nilsad. Secondly, the club is requesting yearly financial statements and independent audit reports from the same era.

Additionally, Real Madrid has asked for the minutes from Tax Governance Committee meetings to understand the legal justification for these transactions. To maintain strict transparency, they also requested that the Guardia Civil collect all formal communications between Barcelona and Negreira’s associates. Lastly, the club has called for a witness testimony from Carlos Naval Biosca to shed light on Barcelona’s internal management at the time.

President Florentino Perez has remained firm in his pursuit of the truth. During a recent speech, he described the Negreira case as the "biggest scandal in the history of football." He also expressed disappointment with football authorities for not doing enough to protect the sport's integrity.

The core of the scandal involves more than 7 million Euros transferred from Barcelona to Negreira from 2001 to 2018. The initial discovery of these payments caused a massive public outcry, with many fans and competing teams alleging "systemic corruption" aimed at influencing match officials.

Although Barcelona maintains that the money was for "technical reports on referees," Real Madrid has highlighted past statements from President Joan Laporta that appear to undermine his current position. In 2009, Laporta had questioned Real Madrid's ethics regarding referees, claiming that Barcelona "respected the refereeing institution" and did not operate in such "markets."

This legal action arrives as Perez continues to express frustration over modern officiating. He has repeatedly pointed out the poor quality of refereeing in La Liga after his team faced several disputed calls. A clear example occurred on December 8, 2024, when Real Madrid lost 0-2 at home to Celta Vigo. During that difficult match, Xabi Alonso’s squad was reduced to just nine players after Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were both sent off with red cards.

The rivalry is just as intense on the field. Real Madrid is currently in a high-stakes race for the La Liga trophy. After 18 matches, the Madrid side occupies second place with 42 points, leaving them 4 points behind their main rivals.