Real Madrid intensifies pressure in the Negreira case.
Catalan newspaper Sport accuses Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez of declaring war on Barcelona, saying the dispute has taken on a calculated hostility beyond fair competition.
Perez's Open War
Founder Josep Maria Casanovas writes that the roots go back to the failed Super League project, with Laporta distancing from Pérez and aligning with UEFA, leaving Madrid isolated amid clashes with Tebas and the Spanish federation.
Casanovas says Pérez replied in kind, reviving the Negreira case and launching a direct attack on Barcelona, reminding that Madrid already complained in March 2023 as the harmed party, and that the present move is a more heated reiteration.
This week Madrid asked the court to access all Barca financial movements from 2010 to 2021, more than 600 documents Barca filed, plus budgets from 2010–2018, to verify payments and internal audits that preceded general assemblies.
The case centers on payments to former refereeing chief José Negreira during his tenure.
Casanovas says the aim is to push the matter to the limit, insisting there is no proof of sporting corruption without actual bribery, and that Madrid's tactics seek applause from its fans. Casanovas also argued that Madrid uses the Negreira affair as ammunition against Barça, a tactic that always resonates in Madrid, and labeled it as the loser's poor excuses. With time, he adds, truth will emerge. Luminaries also note it's about a long-running feud over governance of Spanish football. The whole saga has revived debate about refereeing integrity and club power. For now, Pérez strides forward, with Madrid watching closely.
Punchline 1: If this were a football match, Madrid's strategy would be "attack the paperwork, defend the punchline."
Punchline 2: Barça's comeback line: "We brought receipts—and a referee who doesn't take holiday pay."
