Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has continued his intense pressure on Spanish institutions regarding the Barcelona bribery case involving former vice-president of the referees’ committee, Jose Luis Negrera, deeming it the most serious scandal in the history of Spanish football.
Perez’s statements came hours after a major refereeing controversy erupted in the Real Madrid-Alaves match, following decisions against the Royal Club that nearly resulted in another defeat for Los Blancos in La Liga.
“The Negrera affair is the most serious scandal in football today,” Perez told Marca. “We know that more than 8 million euros were paid for technical reports on referees.”
He added, “It is completely unacceptable for institutions to abandon Real Madrid in the Negrera affair. How can the president of the referees’ committee ask us to forget such a case? How can we forget the biggest scandal in the history of football?”
He added, “How can the Spanish Football Federation and La Liga act this way? It’s their duty to ensure the integrity of the competition.”
He continued, referring to the match against Alavés, “The referee who officiated the game had threatened to take action against our club on the eve of the Copa del Rey final. And it seems the tackles suffered by Vinicius and Rodrygo weren’t penalties. This is the latest in a long series of incidents this season.”
He concluded, “It’s possible that some clubs were relegated as a result of the Negrera affair. Football has been harmed, and justice must be served. Don’t forget that the investigating judge in the case described it as systemic corruption. Barcelona admitted that these payments were made to their benefit. Real Madrid will continue to push in this case, and you in the media have a crucial role to play.”
