Barcelona has been attacked by Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who has called the ongoing Negreira issue the “biggest scandal in the history of Spanish football” and criticised the lack of a conclusive resolution.

Payments paid by Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Spanish FA, between 2001 and 2018 are still being investigated.

Although the Catalan team admits to paying Negreira over €8.4 million, they maintain that the deal was for consulting services related to officiating.

Negreira has also denied having any influence over referees. A Spanish court dismissed bribery charges in May 2024, but the case involving claims of sports corruption is still pending a decision.

In an interview with reporters, Arbeloa bemoaned the length of the probe.

“Regarding the Negreira case, I think nobody understands that, to this day, the biggest scandal in the history of Spanish football is still unresolved,” he said. “That, for me, is what should concern a lot of people.”

As Real Madrid pursues the La Liga championship, Arbeloa, who recently taken over at the Santiago Bernabéu after Xabi Alonso was fired, was eager to keep the attention on football-related issues.

He has led the team to three straight league victories despite losses to Albacete and Benfica.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash with Valencia, Arbeloa stressed the need for sustained improvement. “Great teams have to do many things well to win. You can’t master just one aspect,” he said.

“That only comes through work and time. The players still have the same ambition and desire, but we are far from our ceiling.”

As the season moves into a pivotal stage, Real Madrid is still very much in the running for the championship, even though they are behind Barcelona.

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