Barcelona official statement clarifies UEFA proceedings regarding Negreira

FC Barcelona released an official statement to address reports concerning the reactivation of European governing body UEFA proceedings regarding the Negreira case, clarifying that the matter has not been reopened and that investigations have been ongoing since 2023 without ever being closed. The Catalan club emphasized in the statement that UEFA's recent release did not announce the initiation, reopening, or reactivation of any new procedures against the institution, but merely confirmed the receipt of documents submitted by Real Madrid, which investigators will evaluate within the framework of the existing probe. Barcelona explained that UEFA procedures began in 2023 after the appointment of two investigators who took measures they deemed appropriate, stressing that the club has complied with all their requests throughout the period. The club pointed out that UEFA's statement explicitly used the phrases ongoing investigation and continuous review, which confirms, according to the club, that the case was never closed to begin with so that it could be reopened or reactivated. Barcelona added that the European body's statement did not include any evaluation of the content or value of the documents submitted by Real Madrid, limiting itself to noting their receipt and submission to ethics and disciplinary inspectors for review. The club clarified that the decision on the next step rests with UEFA investigators, noting that they have not yet issued any new requests to the club nor forwarded Real Madrid's complaint to Barcelona. The club stated that if it receives any new requests or if Real Madrid's complaint is transferred to it, it will respond according to established procedures, just as it has done since the beginning of the case. This comes after Real Madrid announced that its complaint to UEFA included a large number of documents and evidence related to payments received by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of the Spanish FA's Referees Committee, considering that the facts under investigation affect the integrity of the competition and trust in the refereeing system. In its response, Barcelona noted that European procedures are subject, according to applicable legislation, to the outcome of the criminal case currently pending in Spain, stressing that this matter will remain in place. The club also cited obtaining its UEFA license to participate in European tournaments since the start of the investigation without any objection, confirming that it continued to participate normally in European competitions. In concluding its statement, Barcelona renewed its commitment to full cooperation with the relevant authorities before addressing a clear message to the media, calling for rigor and accuracy when dealing with information related to this case, in light of the controversy sparked by UEFA's recent announcement and Real Madrid's exploitation of the documents it submitted to the European body.