Barcelona weighs legal action after Pérez remarks

FC Barcelona said on May 13 that its legal department was reviewing statements by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez after he linked the long-running Negreira refereeing case to titles he said had been “stolen” from his club. The response came hours after Pérez used a press conference in Madrid to accuse Barcelona of corruption and to say Real Madrid would send a 500-page dossier on the case to UEFA. The exchange pushed Spain’s biggest club rivalry back into open institutional conflict at the end of the domestic season. Barcelona did not announce a lawsuit, but said it was analyzing Pérez’s words and deciding its next steps. ### What exactly did Barcelona say on May 13? Barcelona said in a statement that, after Pérez’s press conference, its legal department was “carefully studying his words and accusations.” The club added that it was analyzing the situation and would inform further when it considered it appropriate. CBS Sports, quoting the statement, reported that Barcelona was contemplating legal action against Real Madrid and Pérez. (cbssports.com) Other reports on May 13 described the club’s board as preparing a response, but Barcelona’s public wording stopped at saying its lawyers were reviewing the comments. ### What did Pérez accuse Barcelona of saying? (cbssports.com) Florentino Pérez said on May 12 that the Negreira case was “the biggest scandal in history” and said Real Madrid had been harmed over a long period. He said the referees from that era were still officiating in LaLiga and that Madrid was preparing material for UEFA. (cbssports.com) Goal and other outlets quoted Pérez as saying he had won seven league titles as Real Madrid president but that the number “could have been 14 because they’ve been stolen from me.” That line became the focal point of Barcelona’s response. ### What is the Negreira case he referred to? (football-espana.net) The Negreira case centers on payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice president of Spain’s refereeing committee, over a period from 2001 to 2018. Reports cited by multiple outlets put the total at roughly 7 million to 8.4 million euros. Barcelona has denied wrongdoing and said the payments were for consulting and reports, while Negreira has denied being bribed. (goal.com) Football España reported on May 12 that the case remained in a pre-trial phase, with testimony still being gathered. That means Pérez’s remarks came while the underlying judicial process in Spain was still unresolved. ### Why was Pérez holding a press conference in the first place? Real Madrid said on May 12 that Pérez had addressed reporters after a board meeting to announce elections for the club’s board of directors. (football-espana.net) In remarks published by the club, he said he would run again with the current board and said he would not resign. Pérez said he had called elections because, in his words, “an absurd situation” had been created to generate opinion against Real Madrid and against him personally. (football-espana.net) In the same appearance, he also defended his health and his record, saying the club had won 66 titles in football and basketball during his presidency. ### What did Pérez say would happen next with UEFA? (realmadrid.com) Pérez said Real Madrid was preparing a “500-page dossier” on the Negreira case and would send it to UEFA when the season ended. He said he had already spoken with UEFA and framed the move as part of Madrid’s push for action beyond Spain. Barcelona, for its part, said only that it would communicate its position and decisions once its internal legal review was complete. (realmadrid.com) As of May 14, the public next steps named by the clubs were Barcelona’s legal assessment and Real Madrid’s planned submission of its dossier after the season. (cbssports.com) (football-espana.net)