Barcelona sets conciliation hearing against Florentino Pérez on Nov 25
While FC Barcelona insists that Florentino Pérez retract his accusations, the Real Madrid president is preparing to appear before the court on November 25 at 09:40. The hearing will take place in the Chamber of Hearings of Courts 1 and 2 in Madrid, where the conciliation process required by the Catalan club will begin.
Barça's Claim and Possible Criminal Complaint
FC Barcelona filed the conciliation claim in June, alleging that Pérez had defamed the club by claiming that seven league titles had been stolen from it. The accusation is based on article 205 of the Penal Code, which defines the crime of defamation against image and reputation. If Pérez does not retract, the club has warned that it will file a criminal complaint.
Real Madrid's Response and Actions
Real Madrid, for its part, has asked the judge that Barcelona provide documentation on its compliance system between 2010 and 2018, as part of the ongoing investigation. In addition, the club has taken the Negreira case to UEFA, requesting the removal of titles won by Barcelona during the specified period.
Pérez's explosive comments, made at a press conference on May 12 and in an interview the following day, were the trigger for Barça's legal action. In that statement, the Real Madrid president accused the Catalan club of maintaining relationships with referees for decades.
FC Barcelona and Florentino Pérez invited to conciliation on 25/11
After the accusation, the Real Madrid president said that the relationship with Barça was “completely broken” and that he did not wish to maintain any link with a club that, according to him, had paid referees for twenty years.
FC Barcelona's legal team, led by Pere Lluís Mellado, has examined its options and decided to proceed with the mandatory conciliation request, keeping open the possibility of a criminal complaint for defamation.
Barcelona pushes Madrid boss to retract comments for November hearing
The conciliation process, which will last approximately 40 hours according to the court notice, constitutes the preliminary step to the possible filing of a criminal complaint against Pérez. The hearing will be the starting point to determine whether the parties reach an agreement or if the case moves to the criminal phase.