A Boardroom War: Barcelona threatens Florentino Pérez with criminal slander charges

The institutional conflict between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid has intensified, with president Florentino Pérez set to face a November defamation hearing over his remarks regarding the Negreira case.

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The origins of the dispute

The current crisis stems from a press conference held by Pérez on May 12. During the briefing, the Real Madrid president spoke extensively about the Negreira case, which involves the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees between 1993 and 2018, describing it as one of the greatest corruption scandals in football history.

Pérez provoked widespread controversy by claiming that Real Madrid could have won 14 La Liga titles during his presidency instead of seven.

He explicitly stated that seven league championships were effectively stolen from his club, implying that the refereeing controversy directly influenced domestic competition outcomes.

Tit-for-Tat institutional actions

In response to the accusations, Barcelona filed a formal conciliation claim on 12 June. Under Article 205 of the Spanish Penal Code, this represents the mandatory legal step prior to filing a criminal complaint for slander.

The Catalan club is demanding a full retraction of the statements, which they argue severely damage their institutional reputation.

Barcelona also escalated the matter to sports authorities, requesting that La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation and the Refereeing Committee take action against Pérez for undermining the integrity of the competition.

Real Madrid responded in kind, submitting a request to UEFA in June demanding disciplinary action against Barcelona over the Negreira case, broadening the conflict to the European level.

A historic off-pitch escalation

The transition of the Negreira dispute from media exchanges to formal legal proceedings represents one of the most severe institutional breakdowns between Spain's two largest clubs in recent memory.

By threatening criminal slander charges against a sitting Real Madrid president, Barcelona's hierarchy has signaled an uncompromising stance on protecting their legacy.

The ongoing legal manoeuvres risk overshadowing their on-pitch rivalry, dragging both clubs into a prolonged administrative and judicial battle.

What happens next?

According to Spanish daily Marca, the mandatory conciliation hearing between Barcelona and Pérez is scheduled for 25 November 2026. This meeting will dictate the immediate future of the dispute.

If the parties fail to reach a resolution or if Pérez refuses to retract his statements, Barcelona’s legal department is expected to proceed with filing a formal criminal complaint.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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