Real Madrid announced on Thursday that it had sent 'evidence of the highest importance' to Uefa regarding payments made by Barcelona to a former official of the Spanish referees' committee. The documents are linked to claims that Barcelona paid 8.4 million euros to Jose Maria Enriquez de Lara.
Real Madrid claims that the new dossier contains evidence that 'directly affects the integrity of the competition and trust in the refereeing system'. According to reports, the dossier contains more than 50,000 pages, with Uefa describing it as 'extensive'.
The European governing body stated that it would assess the documents as part of an ongoing review. Uefa stated that its ethics and disciplinary inspectors would 'assess the documentation as part of the ongoing review'. Real Madrid has requested that the investigation continue 'as quickly as possible to a complete conclusion' and has called on officials to 'make appropriate decisions in line with the weight of the evidence presented'.
Barcelona responded on Thursday with a statement stating that Uefa had not initiated any new proceedings against the club. The proceedings, it is stated, were initiated in 2023 with the appointment of two investigators who have since carried out actions considered appropriate by the club. The club states that it has complied with all requests and that the procedure has not been reopened as it was never closed.
Barcelona adds that the investigators are to determine what actions, if any, are appropriate in relation to this documentation. As stated, the investigators have not requested any new data from Barcelona nor have they forwarded the complaint to the club. If they do, the club will respond accordingly. Barcelona notes that, in accordance with current legislation, the matter is subject to the outcome of criminal proceedings in Spain and will remain so.
In June 2023, Uefa's investigators decided that Barcelona would not face any sanctions, and the club has since continued to compete in European competitions. The court in Barcelona is considering the case from 2023 and the investigation is still ongoing. La Liga president Javier Tebas stated in March 2023 that the league 'could not take any action' as the case occurred long ago and 'had expired in sports law, but not in criminal law'.
