FC Barcelona takes legal action against Real president Pérez

Pérez's allegations and Barcelona's response

At a press conference on 12 May, and in an interview the following day, Pérez called the Negreira case "the biggest corruption scandal in the history of football." He claimed Barça had been systematically favored by refereeing decisions over the years, distorting competition. Pérez also said Real Madrid had been "robbed" of numerous league titles as a result.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta firmly rejected the allegations. In April 2023, he spoke of a "public and media witch-hunt" and dismissed any accusations of potential "sporting corruption." Laporta said Barça had only paid for refereeing analysis and advisory services.

As of now, the investigations ongoing since 2023 have not produced evidence of match manipulation or direct referee bribery. At the beginning of 2026, the investigations were extended by six months and are expected to continue at least until September 2026.

Status of the investigation

LaLiga president Javier Tebas spoke in an interview in early 2026, saying that "Barcelona has not bribed referees, as the reporting might suggest." Tebas, considered a knowledgeable industry observer, sought with this statement to contextualize the scale of the allegations.

With the conciliation request, Barcelona is responding directly to Pérez's remarks. Should the procedure fail, the club intends to pursue its course of action consistently. The Catalans believe the repeated allegations have caused significant reputational damage and want this clarified in court.

Real Madrid's camp had not initially commented on the conciliation request. It remains to be seen whether Pérez will respond to Barcelona's move and whether the conciliation will succeed or escalate into criminal proceedings.