Real Madrid submit extensive dossier to Uefa over Barcelona referee payments

Real Madrid have confirmed they submitted material to Uefa which the club describes as evidence of "extraordinary gravity", concerning payments Barcelona made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee.

The payments in question total around 8.4 million euros, made between 2001 and 2018. Uefa confirmed it had received a "substantial" set of documents, which will be assessed as part of its ongoing review of the case. The dossier reportedly runs to more than 50,000 pages and, according to Real Madrid, contains evidence that "directly affects the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system".

Barcelona have consistently denied any wrongdoing since the case became public in 2023, insisting the payments were for scouting and technical reports on officials provided by Negreira and his company, Dasnil 95. It has previously been alleged that the money was used to bribe referees, an accusation Barcelona has strongly rejected.

Both clubs respond

Real Madrid called for the investigation to be progressed as quickly as possible to a full conclusion, urging authorities to take decisions matching the seriousness of the established facts. Barcelona countered that Uefa has not opened any new proceedings against them, noting the original investigation dates to 2023 and has never been closed, so it cannot be "reopened". The club said it has complied with all investigators' requests so far and that Uefa has not forwarded Real Madrid's complaint to Barcelona.

In June 2023, Uefa's investigators concluded Barcelona would face no sanctions, and the club has continued competing in European competitions since. Separately, a Spanish court has been examining the case since 2023 in an ongoing criminal investigation. La Liga president Javier Tebas said in March 2023 that the matter was time-barred under sporting regulations, though not under criminal law.