The Union of European Football Associations confirmed on Thursday, October 1, 2026, that it received more than 50,000 pages of documents from Real Madrid concerning the ongoing Negreira investigation involving FC Barcelona. The European governing body stated that its ethics and disciplinary inspectors are now examining the massive dossier, which centers on historical payments made to a former Spanish refereeing official.
Fifty Thousand Pages Delivered to UEFA Headquarters
Real Madrid delivered a vast collection of files exceeding 50,000 pages to UEFA and its president, Aleksander Čeferin. Real Madrid worked extensively over preceding months to bring the matter to European authorities, particularly following what the club viewed as a lack of decisive movement within domestic Spanish channels.
The documentation centers on historical financial transfers totaling between 7.3 million and 7.5 million euros. These funds were paid between 2001 and 2018 by FC Barcelona to companies controlled by José María Enríquez Negreira, who served as the vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) under the Royal Spanish Football Federation. While FC Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the payments were directed toward legitimate technical consulting and referee reports, the European governing body opened its initial inquiry in March 2023.
Extraordinary Gravity and the Demand for Title Sanctions
In an official statement released alongside the document delivery, Real Madrid characterized the evidence as concerning facts of extraordinary gravity that directly impact competition integrity and public trust in officiating systems. The club’s primary objective before European authorities is securing formal recognition of guilt and the subsequent stripping of all titles won by FC Barcelona during the period in question.
The submission of these files means the materials are now formally part of the review process handled by UEFA’s competent bodies. However, the European organization’s communication did not announce the opening of any new formal disciplinary proceedings against the Catalan club at this preliminary stage. Real Madrid previously contacted UEFA disciplinary bodies in June, pressing for the resumption of investigations and arguing that continued payments to a high-ranking referee official represent a danger extremely grave for the integrity of competitions.
Spain investigations found no proof Negreira bribed referees
Investigations in Spain have previously indicated that it was not established that Negreira distributed money to referees to influence the results of matches.
The dossier handed to UEFA includes thousands of documents and witness statements.
Frequently Asked Questions About the UEFA Negreira Dossier
What specific evidence is included in the 50,000 pages sent to UEFA?
The dossier submitted by Real Madrid comprises thousands of documents and witness statements designed to support claims that payments made between 2001 and 2018 compromised the integrity of competitions.
Has UEFA officially opened disciplinary charges against FC Barcelona?
While UEFA confirmed the receipt of the documents and noted that ethics and disciplinary inspectors are evaluating them, the governing body has not announced new formal disciplinary charges against the club.
How much money was transferred during the investigated period?
FC Barcelona disbursed between 7.3 million and 7.5 million euros to companies owned by José María Enríquez Negreira across the 2001 to 2018 timeframe.
What penalty is Real Madrid asking UEFA to impose?
Real Madrid is pressing European authorities to recognize the severity of the infractions and strip FC Barcelona of all titles won during the years payments were made.
UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspectors continue their review of the documentation submitted by Real Madrid, with no fixed timeline announced for the conclusion of the evaluation.
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