UEFA has urged Real Madrid to maintain patience regarding the ongoing investigation into the Negreira case, emphasizing that thoroughly examining the submitted documentation requires sufficient time before reaching any definitive conclusions or taking disciplinary action against Barcelona.
European football’s governing body formally acknowledged receipt of a “substantial volume” of documentation submitted by Real Madrid, confirming that its Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors will evaluate the material as part of the active, overarching investigation into Barcelona’s historical payments to former refereeing official José María Enríquez Negreira.
UEFA’s official response follows formal demands from Real Madrid requesting that the investigation be concluded “as swiftly as possible” and that appropriate sanctions be handed down reflecting the severity of the facts alleged in their submission.
Los Blancos maintain that their compiled dossier contains conclusive evidence directly impacting competitive integrity and public confidence in match officiating, while expressing full readiness to cooperate further and provide any additional documentation requested by UEFA investigators.
The core scandal centers on payments totaling approximately €7.3 million made by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 to companies linked to Negreira—who served as Vice President of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA)—and his son, Javier Enríquez Romero.
Barcelona continue to assert that the payments were made strictly for technical scouting reports and refereeing advice. Conversely, Real Madrid contend that the scale and multi-year duration of the payments warrant an independent European inquiry completely separate from the ongoing criminal proceedings in Spanish courts.
UEFA originally opened its investigation in March 2023, appointing designated Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors. Barcelona highlighted this context to clarify that Real Madrid’s recent submission does not constitute a new inquiry or a reopened case, as UEFA’s 2023 investigation was never formally closed.
By adopting this stance, UEFA has neither dismissed Real Madrid’s demands nor validated their accusations. Instead, the governing body reiterated that the material is undergoing thorough review without establishing a set deadline, reinforcing that receiving documentation does not equate to a finding of liability or automatic sanctions against Barcelona.
