Madrid strikes back: the Nigerira affair fuels the La Liga standoff after the Super League shock

Nigerira payments and the Super League fallout

Real Madrid intensified pressure through its official channels over the Nigerira affair, describing payments allegedly made by Barcelona over 17 years to the former deputy head of the refereeing committee.

This topic has long been a recurring feature of the club’s coverage, but during today’s Valencia match at the Mestalla, a dedicated segment was devoted to the case.

According to AS, the timing is no coincidence, coming after Barcelona’s formal rejection of the European Super League — a move widely expected, though only formally announced yesterday.

Madrid's position and the Super League circus

With this withdrawal, Real Madrid finds itself largely alone in the project, as nine of the twelve clubs initially involved pulled out in a matter of days due to mounting pressure, leaving Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid as the remaining organizers.

Juventus eventually withdrew as well, leaving only Barcelona and Madrid as organizers of the new competition, which had European Court backing but failed to attract fans; Barcelona subsequently pulled out too.

This stance appears to have struck a chord with Real Madrid, which revisited the Nigerira issue ahead of the Valencia game, focusing on a court statement by Laporta claiming he did not know Nigerira.

Madrid TV aired this claim alongside a clip from the program La Sexta, showing Laporta greeting Nigerira at a meeting of the Royal Spanish Football Federation during his first presidency, hinting at a possible personal connection.

The channel also broadcast statements by Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde before the court, with both denying knowledge of the alleged refereeing reports and their necessity in their roles.

Punchline 1: If honesty had a price tag, this saga would require a larger receipt than a season ticket.

Punchline 2: And if truth had a referee, VAR would finally whistle and end the show.