Sanchez: A Barcelona win in the Clasico would bring back the "dirty Nigerian league" record

The controversy has become significant

Spanish journalist David Sanchez reckons the Negreira case and the row over Spanish refereeing will be dragged back into the spotlight if Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the upcoming Clasico, with the result reviving accusations that the Catalan side profit from officials' decisions.

Sanchez made the claim during the "Picotazos" segment on "La Tribu" on "Marca" radio, warning that a Barcelona win would see phrases like "the dirty Negreira league" doing the rounds all over again. The controversy surrounding the Negreira case has hung over Spanish football for years.

Double standards are at the heart of his argument. Mistakes that favour Real Madrid get written off as human error, Sanchez said, while anything that goes Barcelona's way draws far heavier criticism.

He also sees a sizeable gulf between the two sides on the pitch. Barcelona are playing good football. Real Madrid, for all the refereeing noise, are nowhere near the same level.

Results and performances will keep the argument alive, Sanchez concluded. And if Barcelona win on their own patch, he expects the Negreira talk to come flooding back.