La Liga chief Tebas challenges Real Madrid’s role in Negreira legal case

La Liga president Javier Tebas has accused Real Madrid of prolonging the Negreira case as part of an intensified campaign against Barcelona, saying the club’s approach is “unacceptable”.

Tebas was speaking at the “A World in Progress” forum in Barcelona in comments reported by Catalan newspaper Sport, amid growing tension between the two Spanish clubs.

“What concerns me is the nature of the relationship between Barcelona and Real Madrid,” said Tebas. “What is happening today is that the Negreira case is being stretched like chewing gum and pulled out until it ends. I believe that is unacceptable.”

La Liga is a party to the case and, according to Tebas, went to the public prosecutor before Real Madrid did. He also pointed to the fact that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez remained on the club’s board for six months after the case emerged.

Tebas said Perez had spoken at a general meeting about the friendship between Barcelona and Real Madrid while both clubs were involved in the European Super League project.

“Everything seems to have changed since Barcelona withdrew from the project,” he added.

He questioned why Real Madrid’s position had altered, arguing that the club had not treated the case in the same way while its relationship with Barcelona remained positive through their shared involvement in the European Super League.

“Until then, it appeared that the intention was to allow the legal proceedings to follow their course,” Tebas said. “But since Barcelona withdrew from the Super League, it is as if Negreira is in the dressing rooms of every referee who officiates Real Madrid matches.”

“The constant attacks on Barcelona are unacceptable. The time will come when the club must take responsibility, but it cannot now be claimed that the case is continuing in the same way.”

Why Tebas says La Liga acted first

The case concerns payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, between 2001 and 2018. The payments amounted to about 7.5m euros, according to published investigations.

In March 2023, La Liga announced that it would join the case as a prosecuting party. Real Madrid followed on 12 March that year, entering the proceedings as an injured party, and the court accepted its participation in May.

Tebas’s central complaint is that Real Madrid was not the first party to move the case forward. He also rejects suggestions that the investigation should be used to imply that Negreira continues to influence Spain’s current refereeing system.

His criticism does not amount to an exoneration of Barcelona. Tebas has previously said the payments were serious and should be investigated fully, while rejecting the assertion that Negreira still affects refereeing decisions.

Legal proceedings remain ongoing

The courts are still examining the nature and purpose of the payments. Barcelona maintains they were made for technical reports and consultancy on refereeing and scouting, and denies seeking to influence referees or gain a sporting advantage.

Tebas said in October that the events should undergo a full investigation, but distinguished between examining past conduct and claiming that Negreira’s influence remains present in Spanish refereeing. That distinction underpins some of his repeated criticism of Real Madrid’s public position.