Uefa will assess documents submitted by Real Madrid concerning Barcelona’s payments to a former Spanish refereeing official, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
European football’s governing body confirmed on Thursday that its ethics and disciplinary inspectors had received “a substantial amount of documents” from Madrid.
The material will be examined as part of the ongoing investigation into payments made by Barcelona to Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.
Barcelona paid €8.4m to Negreira between 2001 and 2018. The payments became public in February 2023 and prompted investigations in Spain and by Uefa. Barcelona have consistently denied any attempt to influence refereeing decisions.
The Catalan club said on Thursday that Uefa had not opened new proceedings against them. The club maintained that the investigation began in 2023 and had never been closed, adding that they had complied with requests from investigators.
“It is up to the investigators to determine what action, if any, they consider appropriate regarding this documentation,” the club said. Barcelona added that Uefa had made no new requests to them and had not forwarded Madrid’s complaint.
Madrid, who formally joined the Spanish case as an injured party in April 2023, called for the investigation to be completed urgently.
“The complaint filed by our club includes extensive documentation and evidence regarding events of extraordinary seriousness, which directly affect the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system,” the club said.
Madrid added that Uefa should take appropriate decisions in accordance with the seriousness of the established facts.
Cuarta sesión de la semana: ✅ pic.twitter.com/HUH6y4uaAz
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 1, 2026
Barcelona have said the payments were for reports and advice on professional refereeing. In April 2023, club president Joan Laporta said they had been made to an external consultant and insisted that Barcelona had not sought to alter competition results or gain a sporting advantage.
Uefa’s investigators decided against imposing a punishment in June 2023, allowing Barcelona to continue competing in its tournaments. The Spanish criminal investigation remains ongoing.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said in March 2023 that the league could not take sporting action because the payments fell outside the relevant time limit, although he distinguished this from the criminal proceedings.
The dispute has also deepened the longstanding rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid. Laporta previously accused Madrid of benefiting historically from its proximity to political and sporting power during Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, which lasted from 1939 to 1975. Madrid subsequently published a video disputing his claim.
▶️💨⏱️ pic.twitter.com/AcOXE4eCAZ
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 1, 2026
In May, Madrid president Florentino Perez made it know that the club were preparing a dossier for Uefa on the Negreira case. Barcelona responded in June by threatening criminal proceedings over what they described as his “slanderous” remarks, seeking a conciliation hearing before any potential lawsuit. The hearing has been scheduled for 25 November.
Uefa’s latest statement confirms that the documents will be reviewed by its inspectors, but does not announce any new disciplinary action against Barcelona.
