Negreira Case Unveiled: Will Madrid’s Push for Barca Sanctions Move the Needle in a Complicated Gamble
17 December 2025
Context and Stakes
The potential role of FIFA in the Negreira affair is sparking debate, especially after Madrid pressed for penalties against Barcelona. The case revolves around alleged payments to a former deputy head of the referees’ committee to sway match outcomes.
Barcelona faces accusations of paying the former deputy head of the referees’ committee to influence match results.
According to the Spanish newspaper AS, UEFA rules say penalties fall within the continental body’s remit, so any sanction against Barça in the Negreira case would be tied to UEFA, not FIFA.
That is because the matter concerns a domestic competition, even though talk of FIFA intervention has circulated recently.
Regulatory Angles
The global sanctions regime is designed so continental federations enforce penalties in both domestic and continental competitions when crimes damage fair play.
The renewed interest in Negreira has followed Barça president Joan Laporta’s appearance in court, after Real Madrid’s clear demand to hold Barça accountable for payments made to the former deputy head of the referees committee.
EU disciplinary rule Article 4 states the continental body may exclude any team that threatens fair competition.
It’s worth noting that UEFA has never closed the case, which its president Alexander Ceferin once called the biggest scandal in European football.
Usually, penalties don’t require a court ruling, but UEFA has decided to wait for what the courts will determine before acting against Barça.
It’s also noted that the famous report the Royal club plans to forward to FIFA about arbitration will be studied, but as in the previous case, the issue remains local and hard for FIFA to intervene.
And note that the report the club intends to forward to FIFA on arbitration will be studied, but as in the previous case, it remains a local matter with limited international scope.
Punchline 1: If scandals sold tickets, this season would be a sold-out blockbuster. Punchline 2: In football, truth sometimes gets booked as a throw-in.
