UEFA has reopened its investigation into Barcelona’s payments to former Spanish referees’ technical committee vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira after receiving a substantial dossier of documents from Real Madrid.
The move marks a decisive new stage in the long-running case, with the criminal investigation in Spain expected to end by the close of 2026 and court proceedings scheduled to begin in 2027.
The case, widely known as the Negreira case, concerns payments made by Barcelona to Negreira, who was formerly vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees within the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
In an official statement, UEFA confirmed it had received “a substantial amount of documents” from Real Madrid relating to its ongoing investigation into Barcelona.
It added: “UEFA’s Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have also received these documents and will analyse them as part of their review.”
That announcement effectively restores the European investigation, which had been suspended since 2023 while Spanish courts continued their criminal proceedings.
How the UEFA investigation developed
UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary inspectors initially identified possible breaches of the governing body’s legal framework in connection with the payments and opened a formal investigation.
The process was then temporarily frozen as UEFA waited for the outcome of the criminal case being handled by the Spanish courts.
During that period, Real Madrid prepared a detailed report covering the full case. The club’s aim was to ensure Barcelona faced international accountability after concluding that there had been no significant progress at domestic level.
Real Madrid’s renewed activity also came during what the source describes as a historic reconciliation with UEFA, while the club was moving towards a similar agreement with the European Clubs Association, EFC. Throughout those discussions, Real Madrid maintained that Barcelona should be punished in order to protect the credibility of football.
The club subsequently submitted its documentation to UEFA, prompting the governing body’s latest public confirmation.
Investigation expected to end in 2026
Judicial indications in Spain suggest the criminal investigation will conclude by the end of 2026.
The judge responsible for the case rejected a request from Real Madrid, supported by the public prosecution service, to extend the investigation by a further six months. That decision means the process has entered its final phase, with the timetable now moving towards its conclusion.
Once the investigation has ended, trial proceedings are expected to begin in 2027.
UEFA will then have to make its final assessment after examining Real Madrid’s documents and hearing Barcelona’s arguments. The European governing body will determine whether there are sufficiently strong legal grounds for sanctions, which could extend to exclusion from European competition.
The decision will bring the next stage of one of the longest-running refereeing corruption cases to affect Spanish football.
