Real Madrid's Perez summoned over Barcelona referee payments comments
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and FC Barcelona have been summoned to appear before a Madrid court on November 25 for a conciliation hearing ahead of possible criminal proceedings for defamation against Perez, sources close to the case said on Monday.It warned that if the conciliation process failed, it would file a criminal complaint.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and Barcelona are set to face a Madrid court on November 25 for a conciliation hearing, potentially leading to criminal proceedings for defamation. Barcelona initiated legal action on June 12 over Perez's May comments accusing the Catalan club of seeking favorable treatment from referees, alleging the statements were knowingly false and defamatory.
The dispute stems from Perez's remarks at a May 12 press conference regarding the Negreira case, where Spanish courts are investigating alleged payments of up to 7 million euros to companies linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's refereeing committee. Barcelona maintains it did nothing wrong, stating the payments were for reports on referees, and that bribery charges against the club were dismissed in 2024.
Perez called the situation "the most serious case of corruption in football," claiming Real Madrid could have won twice as many league titles if not for Barcelona's actions.
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