Real Madrid has finally stepped forward in the Negreira case. The famous white club insists it was harmed by payments made to FC Barcelona’s former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, and signals readiness to act as a passive or active party in ongoing legal actions.
Under the leadership of Florentino Pérez, the club communicated its decision to pursue legal action after a March 11 board meeting, breaking weeks of silence. The move was framed as a measure to safeguard the broader alliance that binds some of Spain’s top clubs, including a shared interest in major international competitions. Yet mounting social pressure eventually pushed Madrid to move, a decision reinforced twelve days later. A letter obtained by El Periódico from the Prensa Ibérica group states that the actions now being challenged appear designed to benefit one main rival, FC Barcelona, potentially skewing outcomes in competition and influencing refereeing decisions.
expelled from courthouse
The document shows the club’s attorney arguing that Real Madrid has a clear stake in fair competition and should be allowed to join the case as a plaintiff and to request the appointment of a special prosecutor. The letter also identifies a member of the Madrid establishment seeking involvement as a party with a special charge.
The attorney named Luis José Sáenz de Tejada Vallejo is described as a Madrid veteran with over four decades at the bar who claims to be harmed by sport-related corruption. He has previously served as a judge, though the Supreme Court ruled to dismiss him after a 33-month sentence. He is currently drawing scrutiny in a separate case involving alleged psychological violence in a domestic context.
Vallejo’s career includes service at the 3rd High Criminal Court of Ciudad Real and earlier leadership of the Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 1 in Puertollano, another municipality in the same region. The court records tied to Real Madrid’s case echo those already on file from the Royal Spanish Football Federation and LaLiga, including handwritten notes from the late Josep Contreras, a former member of the social commission. These documents are linked to the transfer of funds between Barça B and FC Barcelona directed toward the former arbitration official, underscoring the broader legal narrative confronting Spanish football’s governance.
Real Madrid’s stance marks a turning point in a saga that has persisted through courtrooms and governing bodies. The club argues that the public record, including the alleged payments, should be scrutinized to ensure transparency in sport. Observers note that the case touches on the integrity of competition at the highest levels of Spanish football, with implications for how refereeing decisions are perceived and how governance rules are enforced across La Liga and beyond. In this context, the involvement of multiple parties, including figures with a controversial judicial track record, intensifies scrutiny over the mechanisms used to regulate the sport and the potential influence of financial flows on match outcomes. The broader debate centers on maintaining a level playing field while navigating the delicate balance between competition rules and the autonomy of football institutions, a theme that resonates with fans and regulators alike across North America and Europe.