Real Madrid have formally escalated their stance in the Negreira case, calling on UEFA to bring its investigation into payments received by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing technical committee, to a conclusion as quickly as possible.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Real Madrid said UEFA had acknowledged receiving the complaint submitted by the club, together with the documents and evidence attached to its case file.
The club said its complaint contained “extensive documents and evidence” relating to events it described as extremely serious. Real Madrid added that the allegations directly affected the integrity of competition and confidence in the refereeing system.
“Once these documents have reached UEFA, it is essential that the investigation continues with the utmost speed until it is fully concluded,” the statement said. Real Madrid also called for the relevant authorities to take whatever decisions they consider appropriate in light of the seriousness of the facts being examined.
UEFA has confirmed that it received a substantial volume of material submitted by Real Madrid as part of its investigation into the Negreira case. The organisation said its ethics and disciplinary inspectors had also obtained the documents so they could assess them as part of their ongoing review.
Real Madrid said it would continue to co-operate actively with UEFA and would take every step within its powers to clarify events it considers inconsistent with the principles that should govern European football.
The club identified those principles as integrity, transparency and fair play, underlining its intention to continue pursuing the matter at European level.
The latest developments have brought the Negreira case back into focus within UEFA. The European governing body has followed the case in previous years, while its inspectors are now examining the new documents submitted by Real Madrid.
The continuation of the investigation does not mean Barcelona will be sanctioned. Any next step will depend on the conclusions reached by UEFA’s relevant bodies after they have reviewed the evidence and heard from the parties involved.