Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has once again taken a firm stance on the ‘Negreira case’, stating that the club is preparing a 600-page dossier to submit to UEFA. He expressed confidence that UEFA will intervene and address the matter.
**On the Negreira Case**
“This is a case of sports corruption that remains unresolved. Some referees from that era are still officiating. We will submit a comprehensive report to UEFA to put an end to this. We learned about the Negreira case three years ago – it’s the biggest scandal in history. They made continuous payments for 20 years, and crucially, the same referees are still active in the third decade. We hope UEFA will tackle this issue at its root, for the good of world football.”
**On His Tenure and Achievements**
“This is the most decorated club in world history. According to Forbes, Real Madrid is the most valuable club and the strongest brand. Why should journalists meddle with a club that enjoys the highest prestige and largest fan base worldwide? This club belongs to everyone. Some call me the best president in history – I’m embarrassed by that. According to Transfermarkt, we have the most valuable squad. We have everything.”
**On the Upcoming Elections**
“I run for election because certain factions want to take over the club and claim Real Madrid is in chaos. There are also ultra fans – they will never return. After we expelled them, I received congratulations from around the world for removing violent elements from the club. I have the support of the members. And we have also expelled 1,600 members for ticket touting this year.”
“Of course, we also face La Liga, our long-standing adversary. We will continue to fight. I will fight everyone. The Negreira case is systemic corruption – how can anyone say we should forget it? We are preparing a 600-page report, and after the season ends, I will submit it to UEFA. I have already spoken with them. There has been no precedent like this in world football history – it is the biggest corruption case ever.”
**On the European Super League**
“We have already won in the EU Court of Justice and are now negotiating with UEFA. We want football to be free to watch – so that children in Africa can also watch matches for free, just like the Club World Cup. This is not only for Real Madrid, but for the development of football. UEFA has realised this, and we are making good progress.”
**Further Remarks on the Negreira Case**
“Real Madrid members are behind me in my fight against Negreira and other issues. The victims are not only Real Madrid but also other clubs. Barcelona has been the beneficiary throughout. UEFA will get involved – they must. We cannot allow a shadow of 20 years of paid corruption to linger. We will see what happens in the criminal courts and how UEFA handles the sporting aspect. UEFA has agreed to let us submit the full material. I am not here to see referees enrich themselves with Barcelona’s money – I am here to fight.”
**On His Earlier Claim to ‘Help Barcelona’**
“That statement was made long before the Negreira case came to light. We only recently discovered that the head of referees received payments from Barcelona for 20 consecutive years. It came to light far too late. Since then, we have been preparing materials and we will pursue this to the end. This is the biggest corruption case in football history – for the sake of the sport itself. No one in the world could imagine paying referees – it is simply unthinkable.”
“This season we have won nothing. In my years at the helm, we have won 7 Champions Leagues and 7 La Liga titles – but I should have had 14 La Liga titles, because some were stolen from us. We have already made a video showing the 18 points that were taken from us this season. I cannot remain silent in the face of this. I don’t expect people to flatter me, but I cannot accept the coordinated campaigns by certain media outlets anymore.”