Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez brought the Negreira case back into the spotlight, accusing Barcelona and La Liga of a refereeing conspiracy that facilitated the Catalans’ “best sporting results.”
For the last two years, Barcelona have been under formal investigation for allegedly bribing former vice president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) refereeing committee José María Enríquez Negreira.
The Catalans are suspected of paying a total of €8.4 million (£7.3 million, $9.7 million) from 2001–18 to a company owned by Negreira. Barcelona claimed the payments were for refereeing advice and reports, denying any wrongdoing.
What has become known as the “Negreira case” has been used multiple times by Real Madrid in their ongoing battle against referees in La Liga. The Spanish giants have accused officials throughout Spain of being corrupt, making decisions that benefit Barcelona over Los Blancos.
Tensions have somewhat simmered since last season’s all-out war between Real Madrid and Spanish referees, but Pérez once again stoked the flames at the latest Assembly of Representative Members.
