Barcelona sues Perez over May statements
The Catalan club FC Barcelona and the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, have been summoned to a conciliation hearing set for November 25 at 9:40 a.m. at the Madrid court, following the complaint over statements made by the Merengue executive during a press conference in May.
Conciliation hearing in Madrid
The session, scheduled for 9:40 on November 25, will take place in Section ½ of the Madrid court. Barcelona intends to ask Pérez for an official correction and a withdrawal of his statements, considering them defamatory. The venue is the Madrid court, Section ½, where preliminary conciliation hearings are held.
If the Real Madrid president does not appear or refuses to retract, the Catalan club has already announced its intention to file a criminal complaint for defamation, taking the dispute to a more severe judicial level.
Barcelona had already submitted a formal request for conciliation in June, while Real Madrid lodged a complaint with UEFA on June 17, seeking disciplinary sanctions against the Catalan club.
The contested statements
The contested statements were made by Pérez during a press conference held in May, in which he attacked Barcelona over the Negreira case and the league titles.
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At the heart of the controversy are Pérez's harsh statements on the Negreira case, in which he described the corruption as “systematic” and “the biggest scandal in history.”
Pérez also claimed: “I have been here for who knows how many seasons and I have only won seven Champions Leagues and seven league titles, which could have been 14 because seven league titles were stolen from me,” insinuating manipulation by Barcelona.
Blaugrana vice‑president Rafael Yuste described Pérez’s intervention as “an infamy” and “an attempt to destabilise the club,” adding: “We will meet in court. No one will tarnish the Barça name or this crest.”
The Catalan club has also urged the Spanish football authorities – La Liga, the RFEF and the Technical Committee of Referees – to intervene on the matter.
The conflict comes at a time when Real Madrid and Barcelona are battling for the La Liga title, with possible clashes also in the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
The next chapter of the long rivalry between the two Spanish giants will be played before the judges, with the hope of a resolution that can prevent further legal escalations.