Real Madrid urge UEFA to speed up Negreira case investigation

Real Madrid have called on UEFA to complete its investigation into payments made by Barcelona to a former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee as quickly as possible.

The club issued the statement after UEFA confirmed it had received documents submitted by Real Madrid relating to the Negreira case. Real Madrid said the material contained serious evidence that could affect the integrity of competition and confidence in the refereeing system.

“UEFA has confirmed receipt of the complaint submitted by Real Madrid, and the continuation of the investigation into payments made by Barcelona over the past two decades to the person who held the position of vice-president of the Refereeing Committee,” the club said.

Real Madrid said its complaint included “a large amount of documents and evidence concerning extremely serious events, which directly affect the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system”.

The club added: “Now that these documents are in UEFA’s possession, Real Madrid considers it essential that the investigation progresses as quickly as possible until it is completed, and that the competent bodies take the appropriate decisions in accordance with the seriousness of the facts that have been established.”

Real Madrid also said it would continue to work with UEFA and use every available procedure to clarify the circumstances of events it considers incompatible with the principles of integrity, transparency and fair play that should govern European football.

The club said: “Real Madrid will continue to co-operate actively with UEFA and take all the measures available to it to clarify events that the club considers incompatible with the principles of integrity, transparency and fair play that should govern European football.”

Real Madrid announced in June that it had submitted documents to UEFA relating to the case. The club said the evidence concerned payments received by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira from Barcelona.

Spanish prosecutors previously brought formal charges against Barcelona as a club, former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and former refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

The case centres on transfers made by Barcelona to a company owned by Negreira.