Actual Madrid say they’ve despatched Uefa “proof of extraordinary gravity” referring to funds made by Barcelona to a former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee.
European soccer’s governing physique says it would assess the paperwork – linked to allegations of 8.4m euros (£7.2m) being paid by Barcelona to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018 – as a part of their ongoing overview of the case.
Barcelona have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing for the reason that matter got here to gentle in 2023, stressing that the cash paid was for scouting and technical reviews supplied by Negreira and his Dasnil 95 firm about officers.
Nonetheless, Actual say that their new file, which is reported to be greater than 50,000 pages in size, particulars incorporates proof “which instantly impacts the integrity of the competitors and confidence within the refereeing system”.
Uefa described the file as “substantial” and mentioned its ethics and disciplinary inspectors will “assess it as a part of their ongoing overview”.
It has been alleged beforehand that cash paid to Negreira was getting used to bribe referees, which Barcelona have strenuously denied.
In an announcement on Thursday, Actual mentioned that they needed the investigation to progress “as rapidly as potential till its full conclusion” and urged officers to “undertake the corresponding selections in accordance with the seriousness of the confirmed info”.
In an announcement on Thursday, Barcelona responded by saying that Uefa had “not opened any new proceedings” in opposition to them.
They added: “Proceedings have been initiated in 2023, with the appointment of two investigators who’ve since carried out the motion they deemed applicable.
“The membership has at all times complied with all their requests. These proceedings haven’t been reopened as a result of they’ve by no means been closed.
“It’s as much as the investigators to find out what motion, if any, they take into account applicable concerning this documentation. As of as we speak, they haven’t made any new requests to Barcelona nor have they forwarded Actual Madrid’s grievance to the membership. Ought to they accomplish that, the membership will reply accordingly.
“In accordance with the relevant laws, this file is topic to the result of the prison proceedings happening in Spain and can stay therein.”
In June 2023, Uefa’s investigators determined Barcelona wouldn’t face any punishment and so they have continued to look in European competitors since then.
A Barcelona court docket has been trying on the case for the reason that similar yr and that investigation continues to be ongoing.
La Liga president Javier Tebas mentioned in March 2023 that the competitors physique “couldn’t take any motion” as a result of it occurred too way back. He mentioned the case was “time-barred in sports activities regulation, however not in prison regulation”.