Institutional War: Real Madrid seeks unprecedented UEFA sanctions against Barcelona

Real Madrid have called for unprecedented disciplinary sanctions against arch-rivals FC Barcelona, including the revocation of nine domestic league titles and expulsion from European competition, prompting an immediate official response from the Catalan club regarding the status of the ongoing UEFA inquiry.

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Real Madrid Seek Unprecedented Sanctions

According to Spanish sports daily AS, Real Madrid have intensified their pressure on governing bodies to impose severe penalties on Barcelona over the long-running "Negreira case".

The Madrid hierarchy has formally demanded that Barcelona be stripped of the nine La Liga titles won between 2001 and 2018 alongside a complete ban from UEFA competitions.

Real Madrid's legal push centers on alleged payments totaling €8.4 million (£7.3 million) made by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 to companies owned by José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).

Barcelona have consistently denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest, maintaining that the payments were strictly for technical scouting reports on referees and that the club never attempted to influence match officiating.

Barcelona Fire Back at Reopening Claims

Following reports suggesting UEFA had reactivated its disciplinary machinery against them, Barcelona issued an official statement dismissing claims that a new probe had been initiated.

"UEFA has not opened any new proceedings against FC Barcelona... The proceedings began in 2023 with the appointment of two investigators who have since taken the steps they deemed appropriate. The club has always complied with all their requests. These proceedings have not been reopened because they were never closed in the first place" the statement read.

The Catalan club further addressed the documents recently submitted by their domestic rivals:

"The UEFA statement confirms receipt of the documents provided by Real Madrid and indicates that the investigators will assess them as part of the ongoing investigation. The same text explicitly notes in two places that there is an 'ongoing' investigation and review. Therefore, the statement does not announce the initiation, reopening or activation of any proceedings, nor does it evaluate the substance or value of the submitted documents".

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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