December 27, (THEWILL) — Real Madrid have filed for “millions in damages” from Barcelona in connection with the Negreira Case, which centres on €8.4 million paid to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018.
The former La Liga referee and vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees received the funds over 17 years, sparking an investigation that continues under sports corruption allegations after public official bribery charges were dropped in 2024.
On Christmas Eve, Real Madrid submitted a legal request demanding 625 documents from Barcelona, including invoices, audits, due diligence reports from 2010 to 2021, and budgets from 2010 to 2018.
The club wants to establish exactly where the €8.4 million went and whether payments constituted “buying of influence” among referees.
Madrid reportedly will not stop at obtaining answers, pursuing financial compensation for any unfair competitive advantage Barcelona may have gained through referee favour.
Barcelona have consistently denied wrongdoing, claiming Negreira worked merely in a consultancy capacity.
The club maintains that he provided reports on youth players from rival teams and professional refereeing matters, with no connection to any referee manipulation scheme.
Joan Laporta and other Barcelona officials continue to fight the case in court.
Former Real Madrid captain Lucas Vázquez told Spanish outlet AS that “justice will be done” in the Negreira Case.
He said: “Little by little, the truth is coming out and we are seeing what happened during Negreira’s years. Sooner or later, justice will be done. It is something that must be considered and punished … But, of course, it is not normal. It is not normal.”
The scandal emerged in 2023 and remains under judicial review.
Real Madrid’s legal strategy now focuses on proving financial harm stemming from potentially corrupted officiating decisions, with the club linking Barcelona’s on-field success during the payment period to lost revenues and competitive disadvantage.
The outcome could result in substantial damages being awarded if the court finds evidence of corruption.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
