Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has renewed his criticisms of Spanish refereeing following Los Blancos’ 1-0 victory over Alaves on Sunday night. The win, which temporarily eased pressure on coach Xabi Alonso, was overshadowed by controversy over a late challenge on Vinicius Junior that many felt deserved a penalty.
During the match, Vinicius was visibly upset, claiming that the referee’s inaction was influenced by his presence on the pitch. Alonso also expressed disbelief that VAR did not intervene. While the victory provides breathing room for Alonso, the incident reignites ongoing debates about fairness in officiating in LaLiga.
In his annual Christmas address, Perez pointedly linked the controversy to the long-running ‘Negreira case,’ in which Barcelona stand accused of corrupt payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, former CTA Vice-President, for referee reports.
“Christmas is a time to reflect on the things that concern us. In our case, our biggest concern is the state of refereeing in Spain. It’s a problem that has transcended our borders and damaged the credibility and reputation of our competition,” Perez said, as quoted by Cadena SER.
Describing it as “the biggest scandal in the history of football,” Perez questioned why Real Madrid is “the only club fighting for justice” and criticized the RFEF and LaLiga for what he calls inaction in safeguarding the integrity of Spanish football.
Perez highlighted findings that over €8 million were paid for technical reports on referees, claiming that the intended recipients—Barcelona’s coaches—never even received the reports. “Who can believe that millions of euros were paid for reports that apparently must have been useless?” he asked.
The president also took aim at Pablo Gonzalez, the VAR official during Real Madrid’s clash with Alaves and the Copa del Rey final, citing his pre-match remarks about referees “taking action” against Los Blancos as an intimidation tactic.
Perez referenced testimony from Ernesto Valverde and Luis Enrique, former Barcelona coaches, who confirmed they never received or used the consultancy reports in question. Despite this, the president maintained that the payments represented systemic corruption that has harmed the sport’s integrity.
“We are certain that we are not the only ones harmed. Furthermore, it is possible that some clubs have been relegated as a result of the ‘Negreira case.’ The integrity and decency of our sport are at stake,” Perez stated.
This marks the second time in recent weeks that Perez has publicly criticized the case, previously using his platform at Real Madrid’s General Assembly to raise concerns about refereeing and fairness in Spanish football.
