UEFA refuses to act on Negreira case until Spanish courts rule

UEFA announced it will not intervene in the Negreira dossier involving Real Madrid until a definitive ruling is issued by the Spanish courts. The decision leaves the case to be resolved solely within the Spanish judicial system. Real Madrid and Barcelona are currently engaged in a legal dispute over the Negreira case. The conflict intensified after Barcelona filed a preliminary conciliation request against Florentino Perez following his press conference on May 12. Barcelona’s request seeks a conciliation hearing that could precede a defamation lawsuit under Article 205 of the Spanish Penal Code. The summons for the hearing is not expected before September, and Perez may choose to attend, send a legal representative, or abstain. Should the conciliation process fail, Barcelona warned it will proceed with a formal criminal complaint. Acting president Rafael Yuste said Perez has not accepted Barcelona’s success and described his actions as driven by jealousy and rage. Yuste added that the clubs will meet in court and affirmed that Barcelona’s badge will not be tarnished.