Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and FC Barcelona have been summoned to a Madrid court for a conciliation hearing scheduled for November 25. This legal step follows a defamation lawsuit initiated by Barcelona against Pérez in June.
Defamation Claim Over Negreira Comments
Barcelona’s legal action, launched on June 12, targets comments Pérez made in May. The Real Madrid president had accused Barcelona of attempting to secure favourable treatment from referees, remarks that the Catalan club deemed knowingly false, defamatory, and damaging to its image and reputation.
The core of the dispute stems from Pérez’s statements during a May press conference regarding the ongoing Negreira case. During this press conference, Pérez described the affair as ‘the most serious case of corruption in football’.
Barcelona’s primary objective with this legal challenge is to compel Pérez to retract his statements. The club has indicated that if the conciliation hearing on November 25 does not result in a retraction, it intends to proceed with a formal criminal complaint against Pérez.
The Negreira Case Background
Spanish courts are currently investigating payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee. These payments, reportedly amounting to several million euros over nearly two decades, are being scrutinised to determine if they were intended to gain a competitive advantage.
Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the payments were for technical reports on referees. A court dismissed bribery charges against the club in 2024, though the broader investigation continues.
The upcoming conciliation hearing marks a significant development in the legal friction between the two Spanish football giants, adding another layer to their long-standing rivalry.