Barcelona is preparing to initiate legal proceedings against Real Madrid president Florentino Perez following his recent accusations related to the ongoing ‘Negreira case’. The move, reported by mundodeportivo.com, signals a significant escalation in the already tense relationship between Spain’s two footballing giants.
Perez, who was recently re-elected as Real Madrid’s president, publicly claimed in mid-May that “seven leagues had been stolen” from him, directly implicating Barcelona in alleged wrongdoing. These comments are at the heart of Barcelona’s decision to pursue legal action.
The ‘Negreira case’ and wider implications
The ‘Negreira case’ itself revolves around regular payments made by Barcelona to Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), for what Barcelona describes as referee reports. This situation has been under investigation by Spanish authorities for over three years, with Barcelona facing allegations of sporting corruption.
Real Madrid has actively engaged in the controversy, submitting a dossier to UEFA earlier this week requesting that Barcelona be stripped of titles. This action by their arch-rivals further fueled the animosity, leading Barcelona to deem Perez’s statements “unacceptable” and “an infamy.”
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Barcelona’s firm stance
Barcelona’s legal services have reportedly been preparing measures against Perez for some time. The process was temporarily halted during Real Madrid’s club elections but was reactivated swiftly following Perez’s re-election. While Barcelona had previously considered legal action against Alvaro Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid player and coach, those plans were dropped after his removal as Real Madrid’s head coach. This time, however, the club appears resolute.
According to mundodeportivo.com, Barcelona president Rafa Yuste expressed the club’s determination, stating, “Nobody stains Barça’s badge. We’ll see each other in court. We’ll go after them because we have every chance of winning.” He further challenged Real Madrid’s tactics, adding, “Do you think they can threaten us by saying they will send five hundred papers to UEFA? I don’t know what this gentleman is thinking.” Barcelona is expected to file their formal complaint against Perez within the coming days or week.
Sources: barcanewsnetwork.com, www.mundodeportivo.com
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