Real Madrid issues a statement against FC Barcelona

Involved in the Negreira case, Real Madrid has just released an official statement in which it calls on UEFA to reopen its investigation into the matter. The club is demanding exemplary sanctions be taken against FC Barcelona.

"Real Madrid C.F. announces that, in connection with the so-called 'Negreira Case,' it has submitted a document to UEFA addressed to its disciplinary bodies. In this document, the club has brought to UEFA's attention the existence of relevant evidence that conclusively reinforces the already known suspicions from the beginning regarding the existence of prolonged, opaque payments without any verifiable justification, made by F.C. Barcelona to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, José María Enríquez Negreira, through various corporate structures. Real Madrid emphasizes that these facts, from the perspective of sports disciplinary law, pose a systemic risk of the utmost severity to the integrity of competitions, highlighting the existence of undue influence over the refereeing body, which is incompatible with the essential principles of competitive equality, neutrality, impartiality, and the unpredictability of sporting outcomes. In this context, Real Madrid has requested the immediate resumption of the disciplinary procedure previously initiated by UEFA, considering it unacceptable that this situation has persisted over time, as its continuation seriously undermines the credibility of football, its institutions, and its leaders, and demands a firm, exemplary, and immediate response in the sporting domain, regardless of the ongoing judicial proceedings. For this reason, our club asks UEFA, in the exercise of its own, autonomous and independent authority, to adopt the necessary disciplinary and remedial measures to ensure the integrity, transparency, and proper functioning of competitions, without in any way substituting for the role of the State's judicial bodies or pre-empting any criminal qualification of the facts. In this regard, Real Madrid, as a civil party in the ongoing criminal proceedings, will, as it has from the outset, take the actions appropriate to each procedural stage. Real Madrid reaffirms its commitment to defending the essential values of sport and will continue to promote all necessary actions to ensure that incidents of this nature do not go unpunished.", the statement reads.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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