Real Madrid have delivered a dossier reportedly running to more than 50,000 pages to UEFA, claiming it contains evidence of "extraordinary gravity" in connection with payments Barcelona made to a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee.

The submission centres on allegations that Barcelona paid José María Enríquez Negreira — and his company Dasnil 95 — approximately €8.4m (£7.2m) over a 17-year period between 2001 and 2018. The story first emerged in 2023 when tax authorities began looking into the transactions.

What Real Madrid are alleging

In a statement issued on Thursday, Real said the new material contains evidence "which directly affects the integrity of the competition and confidence in the refereeing system", and called on UEFA officials to "adopt the corresponding decisions in accordance with the seriousness of the proven facts". They added that they want the investigation to proceed "as quickly as possible until its complete conclusion".

UEFA confirmed receipt of the documents, describing them as "substantial", and said its ethics and disciplinary inspectors would "assess it as part of their ongoing review". That review has, technically, been open since 2023 — a point Barcelona were quick to seize upon.

Barcelona's position

Barcelona have consistently denied any wrongdoing since the matter became public. Their argument is that the money paid to Negreira was for legitimate scouting and technical reports on officials, not for any attempt to influence them. On Thursday they issued a statement pointing out that UEFA had "not opened any new proceedings" against them, arguing the existing process had never been closed.

"The club has always complied with all their requests," Barcelona said, adding that investigators had made no new requests following Real's complaint, and had not yet forwarded the dossier to the club. Should that change, Barcelona said they would "respond accordingly".

It is worth noting the regulatory landscape here: back in June 2023, UEFA's investigators concluded that Barcelona would not face punishment at that stage, and the club have continued to compete in European competition since. La Liga president Javier Tebas said in March 2023 that the case was "time-barred in sports law, but not in criminal law" — meaning a Spanish criminal court, which has been examining the matter since 2023, remains the primary active legal arena. That investigation is still ongoing.

Why this matters

The sheer scale of the submission — 50,000 pages is, by any measure, an enormous volume of documentation — signals that Real intend to press this case as hard as possible through UEFA's channels. Whether the governing body's inspectors find fresh grounds for action after their 2023 decision to take no further steps remains to be seen.

What is clear is that the dispute is now firmly back in the public domain, and with a Barcelona criminal trial still unresolved in Spain, it is unlikely to disappear any time soon. Both clubs are active in European competition this season, which gives the row an obvious contemporary relevance for UEFA beyond the historical allegations.

  • Amount allegedly paid: €8.4m (£7.2m) between 2001 and 2018
  • Dossier size: Reported to exceed 50,000 pages
  • UEFA's 2023 decision: No punishment imposed at that time
  • Criminal proceedings: A Barcelona court investigation remains open

Frequently asked

What is the Barcelona referee payments scandal about?
It relates to allegations that Barcelona paid €8.4m (around £7.2m) to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee, between 2001 and 2018. Barcelona say the payments were for legitimate technical reports on officials; critics allege the money was used to influence referees.
Has UEFA already investigated Barcelona over the Negreira payments?
Yes. UEFA opened proceedings in 2023 and appointed two investigators. In June 2023 they decided Barcelona would not face punishment at that stage. The process was never formally closed, and UEFA say the new dossier from Real Madrid will be assessed as part of that ongoing review.
Could Barcelona be thrown out of European competition over this?
It remains a possibility in theory, but UEFA's own inspectors declined to punish Barcelona when they first examined the case in 2023. La Liga's president has also noted the matter is time-barred under Spanish sports law, though a separate criminal court investigation in Barcelona is still active.