Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and Barcelona are to attend a conciliation hearing in Madrid next month after a defamation dispute between the giants of Spanish football.
The hearing was based on legal proceedings that Barcelona filed on June 12 after Perez’s statements at a news conference in May regarding the Negreira affair.
Barcelona argued that Perez’s comments were false and defamatory, and demanded an apology. The club has threatened to take legal action against the Madrid chief if an agreement is not reached during the conciliation.
The row relates to accusations of Barcelona having paid a total of up to 7 million to firms associated with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee, over nearly 20 years.
Spanish authorities have looked into if the payments were made to obtain a sporting advantage. Barcelona have protested their innocence, with the club insisting that the monies were paid for referee reports and analyses. A bribery case involving the club was dropped in 2024.
The prosecutor, who called it “the most serious case of corruption in football”, said he was still trying to understand how Barcelona had paid a sum of money to a senior referee.
The hearing in November will decide whether the matter can be resolved before Barcelona follow up with more legal action.
