Spanish club Real Madrid announced that it has received an official response from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) regarding its request to open an investigation into what is known as the "Negreira case."
UEFA wishes to clarify everything that occurred between 2001 and 2018, the years during which Barcelona paid €8.4 million to the vice president of the Referees Technical Committee during that period.
UEFA also wants this investigation to determine the intent behind these payments made by Barcelona, what Barcelona was seeking, and the extent of the impact of these alleged payments in exchange for reports.
UEFA receives Real Madrid's complaint regarding the Negreira case
Real Madrid's official statement read: "In response to UEFA's statement today regarding the so-called 'Negreira case,' the former confirmed receipt of the complaint submitted by Real Madrid Club."
The statement added: "The investigation into the payments made by FC Barcelona over the past two decades to the former vice president of the Referees Technical Committee is set to continue."
It continued: "The complaint submitted by our club includes comprehensive documents and evidence concerning extremely serious events that directly affect the integrity of the competition and public confidence in the refereeing system."
It further stated: "Real Madrid believes that now that UEFA has obtained these documents, it is essential to expedite the investigation to the fullest extent possible until its completion, and for the competent authorities to take appropriate decisions according to the severity of the proven facts."
It concluded: "Our club will continue to cooperate effectively with UEFA and take all possible measures to clarify these events, which the club considers a violation of the principles of integrity, transparency, and fair play that should govern European football."
Real Madrid believes that while the matter may have been closed by Spanish sports authorities, it remains open before UEFA, which intends to pursue every detail of this case, one that has raised widespread concerns within La Liga.
