Sports
Real Madrid Send Major Dossier to UEFA Over Barcelona Payments Case
Madrid, October 2, 2026 — Real Madrid have submitted a large body of documents to UEFA as part of the European governing body’s ongoing investigation into payments made by FC Barcelona to former Spanish refereeing official José María Enríquez Negreira.
UEFA confirmed on October 1 that it had received a “substantial” quantity of documents from Real Madrid relating to the Negreira case. The material will be considered by UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary investigators as part of their existing review.
Real Madrid said in an official statement that its submission contains extensive documentation and evidence concerning payments made by Barcelona over roughly two decades to Negreira, who was formerly vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees. The Madrid club said it believes the material raises questions concerning competition integrity and confidence in the refereeing system.
Santiago Bernabéu exterior or Real Madrid crest. Real Madrid have submitted additional documentation to UEFA concerning the ongoing Negreira investigation. Source: a Santiago Bernabéu exterior image is available from Visit Football.
What is the Negreira case?
The investigation centres on payments made by Barcelona to companies connected with Negreira between 2001 and 2018. Recent reporting has put the total at approximately €8.4 million.
Barcelona has consistently denied that the payments were intended to influence referees. The club has maintained that the money was for technical and scouting reports concerning referees and has rejected allegations of sporting wrongdoing.
The matter originally came to wider public attention following an investigation involving Spanish tax authorities and subsequently developed into a broader judicial and sporting investigation.
Camp Nou/Spotify Camp Nou exterior or Barcelona stadium. Barcelona has maintained that payments to companies linked to Negreira were for technical and refereeing-related reports. Soucre: A Camp Nou exterior image is available from El Tiempo.
Real Madrid’s latest submission
Real Madrid has previously taken an active role in the case. In June, the club announced that it had already submitted a written statement to UEFA’s disciplinary bodies concerning the Negreira investigation.
The latest submission adds further documentation to UEFA’s existing investigation. BBC Sport reported that the new dossier was said to run to more than 50,000 pages, although UEFA’s own statement confirmed the quantity of material without publicly specifying its page count.
Real Madrid has called for the investigation to proceed quickly and said it will continue cooperating with UEFA.
José María Enríquez Negreira leaving court surrounded by journalists. The Negreira investigation centres on payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to the former refereeing official. Source: Getty Images carries relevant court coverage imagery.
Barcelona responds
Barcelona said UEFA has not opened a new case against the club. In a statement issued on October 1, Barcelona said the proceedings began in 2023 and have remained ongoing.
The club also stressed that UEFA’s latest communication only confirms receipt of Real Madrid’s documentation and does not represent an assessment of the substance or value of the material submitted.
That distinction is significant: the existence of the dossier and UEFA’s decision to consider it do not, by themselves, establish that Barcelona committed sporting misconduct.
What happens next?
UEFA’s investigators will assess the newly submitted material within the framework of the existing investigation. The eventual outcome will depend on the evidence examined and the conclusions reached by the relevant authorities.
For now, the latest development adds another significant chapter to a case that has remained one of the most closely watched disciplinary issues in Spanish and European football.