Real submit 'substantial' dossier in Barca payments case

What the report says

Real Madrid have submitted what UEFA described as a “substantial” dossier concerning Barcelona’s payments to former Spanish referees’ committee vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, according to BBC Sport Football. UEFA said its ethics and disciplinary inspectors will examine the material as part of an ongoing review of the long-running case. The allegations centre on claims that Barcelona paid about 8.4 million euros between 2001 and 2018, while Barcelona have repeatedly denied wrongdoing and said the money covered scouting and technical reports.

Real said their submission contains evidence they believe affects the integrity of the competition and trust in the refereeing system. The club also urged UEFA to move the case forward as quickly as possible and take any appropriate decisions based on the facts established. BBC Sport notes that the dossier is reported to run to more than 50,000 pages, though that figure was not independently detailed in the statement itself.

Barcelona responded that UEFA has not opened any new proceedings and said the matter has been under review since 2023. The club said it has cooperated with investigators and maintained that the issue remains tied to criminal proceedings in Spain. UEFA previously decided in June 2023 that Barcelona would not face punishment, and the Spanish court investigation is still continuing. The case remains significant because it has raised wider questions about refereeing integrity and governance in European football.