Barcelona Takes Legal Steps Against Real Madrid's Florentino Perez Over Alleged Defamation

Barcelona has initiated legal proceedings against Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, in response to remarks he made concerning the controversial 'Negreira case'. The club has formally requested conciliation, allowing Perez the opportunity to retract or amend his statements before escalating to a court case.

According to Barcelona, if Perez declines to withdraw his statements, they will proceed with a criminal complaint. The club's decision stems from comments made by Perez during a press conference on May 12 and a subsequent interview, which they claim were intentionally misleading and detrimental to their reputation.

In their official announcement, Barcelona emphasized that they seek a retraction of what they deem slanderous remarks that have negatively impacted the club's image. The legal action is grounded in Article 205 of Spain's Penal Code, which addresses defamation issues.

Perez's statements revolved around an investigation into payments made by Barcelona to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's referees’ committee. The reported €8.4 million payment has sparked significant controversy within Spanish football.

During the May press conference, Perez labeled the situation as “the biggest scandal in history,” highlighting ongoing concerns about referees involved in the investigation still officiating matches. He also mentioned that Real Madrid is compiling a comprehensive dossier on the matter, intended for submission to UEFA after the season concludes.

Perez's comments emerged just before he was re-elected as president of Real Madrid, securing 65% of the votes against challenger Enrique Riquelme.