Madrid’s Perez summoned over Barcelona referee payments comments

Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez and Barcelona are set to face a Madrid court on November 25 for a conciliation hearing. This legal proceeding may lead to criminal charges for defamation if it fails, according to sources familiar with the case. The hearing stems from legal action filed by Barcelona on June 12, in response to Perez's May 12 comments accusing the Catalan club of attempting to obtain advantageous treatment from referees.

Barcelona claims the case is based on Perez's claims that the club paid up to €7 million over two decades to companies connected to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's refereeing committee. These payments, allegedly intended to secure a competitive edge, are under investigation by Spanish courts. Barcelona denies any wrongdoing, asserting the payments were for referee reports.

Perez, however, described the situation as "the most serious case of corruption in football" and claimed that Real Madrid missed out on twice as many league titles as they have won.