By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
FC Barcelona have confirmed their legal department is examining comments made by Florentino Pérez following the Real Madrid president’s explosive press conference that reignited tensions between Spain’s two biggest clubs.
In an official statement released Tuesday night, Barcelona revealed club lawyers are carefully reviewing Pérez’s declarations and accusations before deciding on possible action.
“Regarding the press conference held by the Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez, we inform that our legal department are carefully examining his declarations and accusations,” the Catalan club said. “They are currently being analysed and the steps to be taken are being assessed.” ([FC Barcelona][1])
The statement came hours after Pérez launched a series of extraordinary attacks on La Liga, referees, journalists and Barcelona during an emergency media appearance at Ciudad Real Madrid.
Among his most controversial remarks, Pérez described the Negreira investigation involving Barcelona as “the biggest corruption scandal in football history,” while accusing the club of benefiting from systemic favoritism over two decades. Reports in Spain also indicated Pérez claimed Real Madrid had been “robbed” of multiple league titles during his presidency.
Barcelona’s response signals a sharp escalation in the already fractured institutional relationship between the two rivals, which has deteriorated significantly since Real Madrid joined the Negreira case as a private prosecutor in 2023.
The Negreira case centers on payments totaling approximately €8.4 million made by Barcelona to companies linked to former referees’ committee vice-president José María Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018. Barcelona have consistently denied wrongdoing, insisting the payments were for consultancy and refereeing reports rather than attempts to influence match officials.
While investigations remain ongoing, La Liga president Javier Tebas stated earlier this year there is no evidence Barcelona paid referees to manipulate matches directly, although he described the payments themselves as unacceptable from a sporting perspective.
Initially, reports suggested Barcelona officials viewed Pérez’s fiery press conference as politically damaging mainly to Real Madrid’s own image. However, Spanish media now report the club is reconsidering its stance after analyzing the seriousness of the accusations made publicly by the Madrid president.
The latest confrontation adds another chapter to the widening institutional war between Real Madrid and Barcelona, whose relationship has collapsed in recent years over the Super League project, refereeing controversies and the ongoing Negreira investigation.
Despite Barcelona’s warning statement, the club has not yet confirmed whether it will pursue formal legal proceedings against Pérez or Real Madrid. Club officials said any decisions taken would be communicated publicly “when considered opportune.”
[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negreira_case?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Negreira case”