La Liga president Javier Tebas launched a fresh attack on Real Madrid over their stance on the Negreira case at the World in Progress forum in Barcelona. The judicial process is still continuing, with the courts yet to determine the nature of the payments and their purpose.
Tebas's remarks in Barcelona
In statements reported by Catalan newspaper Sport, Tebas said Real Madrid's position cannot be accepted. He said: "What concerns me is the heart of the relationship between Barcelona and Real Madrid. What is happening today is the prolonging of the Negreira case like chewing gum, and continuing to stretch it until it ends. I believe this is something unacceptable."
Tebas also said: "The ongoing attack that Barcelona is being subjected to is unacceptable. The time will come when the club bears its responsibilities, but it cannot now be claimed that the case is still ongoing in the same way."
Who joined the case and when
Tebas said: "We are a party in the Negreira case, and we went to the public prosecutor before Real Madrid. The president of the Merengues remained a member of the board of directors for 6 months after the case emerged, and he also spoke at one of the general assemblies about the friendship between Barcelona and Real Madrid, while the two clubs were part of the European Super League project. But it seems everything changed after Barcelona withdrew from the project."
La Liga announced their move to join the case as a prosecuting party in March 2023. Real Madrid followed on 12 March that year, joining the proceedings as an injured party, and the court accepted their participation in May.
Background to the case
The case goes back to payments Barcelona made to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the technical committee of referees, between 2001 and 2018. According to the published investigations, the payments amounted to around 7.5 million euros.
Barcelona maintain the payments were for technical reports and consultations on refereeing and sports scouting, and deny any aim of influencing referees' decisions or gaining a sporting advantage.
Tebas on the current process
Tebas said: "Until that time, it seemed that what was required was to leave the judicial proceedings to run their course."
He also said: "But since Barcelona withdrew from the Super League, it has become as if Negreira is in the dressing rooms of all the referees who officiate Real Madrid's matches."
