Bombshell in Spain: Real Madrid want to take nine titles away from FC Barcelona
Real Madrid have submitted a 50,000-page report to UEFA. The document is linked to the Negreira case, in which FC Barcelona are accused of bribing referees. Real Madrid want all of Barça's league titles between 2001 and 2018 to be stripped.
The Negreira case has been running for several years. An investigation in 2019 found that between 2001 and 2018, Barça paid around €7.3 million to €8.4 million to companies linked to Negreira, the chairman of the referees' association.
Those payments stopped in 2018 when Negreira left the association. Barcelona said they were for legitimate external consultancy, technical reports on referees to support the coaching staff. The Public Prosecutor's Office is still investigating whether the payments were intended to influence refereeing decisions, in other words sports corruption.
Negreira is said to have told the tax authorities that Barcelona paid "so that no refereeing decisions were taken against them", in other words to guarantee neutrality. Real Madrid now want to take Barcelona before UEFA's judges over the case.
On their own website, Real Madrid say they have now sent the 50,000-page report to UEFA. "UEFA have confirmed receipt of the complaint filed by Real Madrid CF and the continuation of the investigation into payments made by FC Barcelona over the past twenty years to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees."
"The complaint filed by our club contains extensive documentation and evidence regarding very serious events that directly affect the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system."
"Real Madrid consider it essential that, once UEFA have received this documentation, the investigation is continued as quickly as possible to a full conclusion and that the competent bodies take the corresponding decisions based on the seriousness of the proven facts."
"Our club will continue to cooperate actively with UEFA and take all possible measures to clarify events which, according to UEFA, are not in keeping with the principles of integrity, transparency and fair play that should govern European football."
Diario AS have more on what Real Madrid want. According to the sports newspaper, Los Blancos want UEFA to strip Barcelona of all titles between 2001 and 2018, nine in total. Real Madrid have gone to UEFA because some of Barcelona's alleged violations are already time-barred under Spanish sports law.
