Golden Era or Ghosts of Officiating? Perez Claims Barca’s Glory Coincided with Referee Payments

Context: The Negreira Controversy Revisited

Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, has reignited the debate surrounding the Negreira case involving Barcelona, arguing that what he sees as a sporting injustice shows Barca's "golden era" coincided with alleged payments to referees amounting to over 8 million euros across 2001 to 2018. He points to a stark gap in red cards between the clubs during that period, calling the situation "not natural."

He used his appearance at the club's latest general assembly to lash out at several major football bodies, including UEFA, La Liga, and Barcelona itself, framing the matter as a broader integrity question for Spanish football.

What Perez Claims and How It Was Framed

According to the article, Perez argued that the payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who at the time served as deputy head of the referees' committee at the Spanish federation, were tied to reports and arbitration consulting. He argued that this period coincided with Barca's most successful runs, implying a possible link between off-field funding and on-field results. He presented charts and data he described as showing a clear anomaly in red cards for both clubs, locally and in Europe.

He stressed that Real Madrid was the only club to attend the related proceedings and that multiple Barca officials, including former presidents, were scrutinized in the broader investigation into sporting integrity. He pointed to what he described as a "non-natural" alignment between Barca's achievements and the payments, and argued that the league's governance and refereeing structures need independent review.

Reactions, Investigation, and the Big Picture

The Barca camp has maintained that the payments were for consultancy and reports, not bribes, and that there is no proven case of illicit influence. Investigations continue, with UEFA launching its own inquiry into the issue, though Barcelona was permitted to participate in the Champions League while investigations continue in Spain. The affair has split the Spanish football world, with Madrid and several other clubs demanding more transparency from both the federation and the European body.

As the saga unfolds, Perez's remarks underscore ongoing concerns about integrity in La Liga and the handling of refereeing matters by the football authorities. The dispute has also touched on the Miami game arrangement for Barca and other related incentives, with La Liga chief Tebas and others weighing in on comparisons to American football.

Caption under image: Perez’s remarks intensify the debate over Barca’s past.