UEFA to assess Real Madrid dossier in Barcelona payments case

UEFA will assess a dossier submitted by Real Madrid concerning Barcelona's payments to former Spanish refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, BBC Sport reported on Thursday. European football's governing body said its ethics and disciplinary inspectors would examine the documents within their existing review of the case, rather than announcing a decision on the allegations.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdB_kvN0d3I

The case concerns alleged payments of 8.4 million euros to Negreira between 2001 and 2018. Negreira is a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee. Barcelona have repeatedly denied wrongdoing since the matter became public in 2023. The club's stated explanation is that the payments covered scouting and technical reports about officials supplied by Negreira and his company, Dasnil 95.

Real Madrid contend that the material raises serious questions about the integrity of competition and trust in refereeing. According to the BBC report, the dossier is said to exceed 50,000 pages. In their Thursday statement, Real called for the investigation to reach a conclusion as quickly as possible and for decisions reflecting whatever facts are established. UEFA described the submission as substantial.

Barcelona responded that UEFA had not started new proceedings against them. The club said two investigators were appointed in 2023 and that it had complied with their requests throughout. Its position is that the process cannot have been reopened because it was never closed, with any further investigative steps for the appointed officials to determine.

The club also said it had received neither a new request from the investigators nor a copy of Real Madrid's complaint. Barcelona said they would respond if contacted, and maintained that the UEFA file remained subject to the outcome of criminal proceedings in Spain. The BBC reported that a Barcelona court's investigation, also dating from 2023, was continuing.

Allegations that the payments were intended to bribe referees remain disputed by Barcelona. The BBC reported that UEFA investigators decided in June 2023 that the club would not face punishment, and Barcelona have continued playing in European competition. The latest confirmed development is an assessment of additional documents within the ongoing review, not a finding that Real Madrid's allegations have been proved.