Real Madrid has escalated its legal push in the Negreira case, formally requesting access to a wide range of Barcelona financial records dating from 2010 to 2018.
The request, made in proceedings before a Barcelona court, marks another step by the Santiago Bernabeu club in its demand for explanations surrounding payments Barcelona made to a former senior referee official.
Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry now playing out in court
Any sense of institutional alignment between Spain’s two biggest clubs is long gone. That shift is now most visible inside a Barcelona courtroom, where investigators are examining the so-called Negreira case and the financial relationship between Barcelona and Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.
Real Madrid has made clear it intends to pursue the matter to the end. Last week, that stance was underlined when the club’s attorney subjected Barcelona president Joan Laporta to pointed, uncomfortable questioning during his testimony.
Now, Madrid has gone further by asking the court to compel the production of documents related to the payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to Negreira.
What documents Real Madrid is requesting
According to information made public by referee Xabier Estrada, Real Madrid has formally requested the following materials:
Internal audits carried out by FC Barcelona between 2010 and 2018 that identify, analyze and validate payments to Dasnil 95 SL, Nilsad SCP, Soccercam SL, Best Norton SL, Tresep 2014 SL and Radamanto SL. The request also seeks the names of the authors of those audits and the internal recipients within Barcelona.
Barcelona’s annual financial statements from 2010 to 2018, along with the corresponding independent external audit reports that were prepared and approved during that period.
Minutes from meetings of Barcelona’s Tax Governance Committee in which the payments to the same companies were examined from a tax perspective.
An order requiring Camps Legal Advisors SLP to submit, through the Judicial Police section of the Guardia Civil’s Zone VII unit, all communications and legal or extrajudicial claims sent to Barcelona on behalf of Dasnil 95 SL and or Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Testimony from Carlos Naval Biosca, who Real Madrid wants called as a witness.
A case with growing consequences
The Negreira case has already shaken Spanish soccer, raising questions about governance, transparency and the integrity of officiating at the highest level. Real Madrid’s latest move signals that the club believes key answers remain buried in Barcelona’s financial and internal oversight records.
As the investigation continues, the courtroom battle between Spain’s most famous rivals shows no sign of cooling off, with potentially far-reaching implications for both clubs and for LaLiga as a whole.