UEFA earlier today released a statement concerning the ongoing Negreira case involving FC Barcelona.
The European football governing body confirmed that it had received a substantial amount of documentation submitted in connection with the investigation into payments made to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).
UEFA added that "the UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have also received these latest documents, which they will assess as part of their ongoing review of the case."
The development comes after Real Madrid submitted a new dossier to UEFA, calling on the governing body to move quickly with its investigation and take appropriate action based on the findings.
Barcelona respond with a statement
FC Barcelona have now responded to the latest developments, clarifying their understanding of UEFA's announcement.
The Catalan club stressed that UEFA has only confirmed receipt of the documents submitted by Real Madrid and has not announced the reopening of a disciplinary case or the launch of a new proceeding against Barcelona.
Barcelona also reiterated that the club has fully cooperated with UEFA throughout the investigation and intends to continue doing so.
The club further noted that it has not received any new requests from UEFA in relation to the case and has not been provided with Real Madrid's complaint or the accompanying dossier.
Full Statement
"In response to reports about a possible reactivation of UEFA's investigation into the Negreira case, FC Barcelona wishes to make the following clarifications:
"UEFA has not opened any new disciplinary proceedings against FC Barcelona. The proceedings began in 2023 with the appointment of two investigators, who have since carried out the actions they deemed necessary.
"The Club has always complied with all their requests. These proceedings have not been reopened because they were never closed."
"The UEFA statement confirms receipt of documentation submitted by Real Madrid and that investigators will assess it within the framework of the existing investigation. The statement explicitly refers, on two occasions, to an ongoing investigation and review."
"Therefore, it does not announce the opening, reopening, or reactivation of any case, nor does it contain any pronouncement on the substance or value of the submitted documentation.
"It is up to the investigators to determine what actions they deem appropriate regarding this documentation.
"As of today, they have not made any new requests to FC Barcelona nor have they forwarded Real Madrid's complaint to the Club. When they do, the Club will respond appropriately, as it has done thus far.
"In accordance with the applicable legislation, this file is subject to the outcome of the criminal proceedings taking place in Spain and will remain therein.
"Since the start of the investigation, FC Barcelona has continued to obtain UEFA licenses without objection and has participated in its competitions.
"FC Barcelona reiterates its full cooperation with the competent authorities and requests rigor and precision in the reporting of this procedure."