Barcelona have issued a statement after reports that Real Madrid submitted documents to UEFA concerning the Catalan club’s links with former Technical Committee of Referees vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
The club said the matter is connected to criminal proceedings in Spain. Barcelona also stressed that, since the investigation began, they have continued to receive UEFA licences without objection and have remained eligible to compete in competitions organised under UEFA.
Barcelona were charged with bribery in 2023 over payments made to Negreira, who worked for the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The club was accused of making payments between 2001 and 2018, with the total amount exceeding 8 million euros.
The latest reports concern information allegedly passed to UEFA by Real Madrid about Barcelona’s relationship with Negreira. Barcelona’s statement addresses the development while pointing to the club’s continued participation in UEFA competitions and the approval of its licences during the investigation.