EXPLAINER
Actual Madrid accuse Barcelona of paying former refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018.
Actual Madrid have urged UEFA to conclude its ongoing investigation into the Negreira case with “utmost urgency” after European soccer’s governing physique confirmed receiving a file from them on Thursday.
The case pertains to Barcelona soccer membership allegedly paying thousands and thousands of {dollars} to the corporate of Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the previous vp of Spanish soccer’s refereeing committee, between 2001 and 2018, to attempt to affect referee choices.
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Barcelona have denied any wrongdoing or battle of curiosity and mentioned they paid him for studies and recommendation associated to refereeing.
Thursday’s assertion by UEFA was the most recent replace in its investigation into the funds opened in 2023, whereas there’s an ongoing Spanish prison case as effectively.
Right here’s all the things it’s essential to know in regards to the case:
What’s the Actual Madrid vs Barcelona Negreira case?
Barcelona allegedly paid greater than 7.3 million euros ($7.95m) between 2001 and 2018 to companies owned by Negreira, who was vp of the refereeing committee of the Spanish soccer affiliation from 1993-2018.
In March 2023, Spanish prosecutors formally charged Barcelona in addition to two of the membership’s former presidents, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and Negreira and his son, Javier Enriquez Negreira, with corruption over the affair.
Barcelona was accused of corruption in sports activities, fraudulent administration and the falsification of mercantile documentation; it denies any wrongdoing and says the funds have been made for technical refereeing studies.
In June 2023, UEFA’s investigators determined that Barcelona wouldn’t face any punishment, and the membership has continued to play in European competitors since then.
What are Actual Madrid’s accusations towards Barcelona?
Actual Madrid have primarily accused Barcelona of sports activities corruption and influencing refereeing choices by way of funds to Negreira.
The membership joined the criticism filed by Spanish prosecutors towards Barcelona and expressed their “deep concern in regards to the seriousness of the info”.
In accordance with studies in Spanish media, Actual Madrid have requested that Barcelona be stripped of the 9 titles they gained between 2001 and 2018, the years through which the Catalan membership paid Negreira.
What have UEFA, Actual Madrid, and Barcelona mentioned?
All three entities issued separate statements on Thursday night time.
- UEFA: The governing physique confirmed receiving a “substantial quantity of paperwork” — reportedly value 50,000 pages — from Actual Madrid pertaining to the investigation. “The UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have additionally acquired these newest paperwork which they’ll assess as a part of their ongoing evaluate,” it mentioned in an announcement.
- Actual Madrid: The membership issued its assertion following UEFA’s announcement and confirmed that it had supplied “intensive documentation and proof concerning occasions of extraordinary seriousness, which straight have an effect on the integrity of the competitors and confidence within the refereeing system.” It urged that UEFA’s investigation proceed with “utmost urgency till its full conclusion” now that the file has been handed over.
- Barcelona: Accused get together Barcelona issued an announcement clarifying that the most recent growth pertains to the identical ongoing investigation, and that “proceedings haven’t been reopened as a result of they’ve by no means been closed.” “As of at this time, they haven’t made any new requests to FC Barcelona nor have they forwarded Actual Madrid’s criticism to the Membership. Ought to they accomplish that, the Membership will reply accordingly, because it has finished so far.”
What else is occurring between Actual Madrid and Barcelona?
Some studies in Spain declare that Actual Madrid president Florentino Perez and FC Barcelona have been summoned to seem earlier than a Madrid court docket on November 25 for a conciliation listening to forward of potential prison proceedings for defamation towards Perez.
The listening to follows authorized motion launched by Barcelona on June 12 over feedback made by Perez in Could within the Negreira case.
Barcelona mentioned the motion was supposed to drive Perez to retract statements it described as knowingly false, defamatory and damaging to the membership’s picture and fame.
The membership warned that if the conciliation course of failed, it will file a prison criticism.
The dispute centres on feedback Perez made at a Could 12 information convention in regards to the so-called Negreira case.
Perez described the affair as “essentially the most critical case of corruption in soccer”, including: “We might by no means have imagined Barcelona giving cash to the pinnacle of the referees.”
He additionally claimed Actual Madrid had been denied league titles, saying: “I’ve gained seven leagues. I might have gained twice as many. The others have been stolen from me.”
Neither entity has issued any assertion since UEFA acknowledged receiving Actual Madrid’s file on Thursday.
Will the case have an effect on El Clasico?
The Spanish soccer giants will meet within the first leg of El Clasico on October 25 in La Liga. The case could have no bearing on the scheduling of the match however might present an added contact of drama to what’s often called one of the vital bitter soccer rivalries in membership soccer.
