Florentino takes the Negreira case to UEFA: Madrid president delivers on his promise to Ceferin
Real Madrid’s president attended Puskás Aréna yesterday, where he informed Ceferin that he will hand over a dossier of alleged refereeing errors.
Florentino Pérez did exactly what he said he would. In his Thursday interview with Spanish broadcaster TVE, he announced: “At the Champions League final, I’ll tell Ceferin that I’m giving him a dossier on the Negreira case.”
Two days later, he boarded a flight to Budapest — and followed through.
At the Puskás Aréna on Saturday, the Real Madrid president met informally with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and warned him about what’s coming: a roughly 500‑page report, three years in the making, detailing what Madrid considers a long list of officiating irregularities tied to the Negreira affair.
This move is part of a broader strategy Florentino previewed back on May 12, when he announced the club’s upcoming presidential elections. The dossier, he hinted then, was already in its final stages.
From “Why would we be upset?” to “I’m going all in”
Florentino has been under scrutiny for comments he made during Madrid’s 2024 General Assembly, when he said: “Barcelona and Real Madrid have to help each other… it’s one of the most important institutions in the world and must return to what it is.”
Many fans didn’t like that. The backlash was loud enough that reporters pressed him on it again this week.
His response was blunt: “I’m going all in on the Negreira case. Anyone who thinks I’ve forgotten — I’m going all in.”
The next step is the delivery of the dossier, expected after the club’s elections. The report outlines what Madrid claims are years of refereeing decisions that harmed the club.
Florentino even told the media: “I’ve won seven league titles… but it could’ve been 14. The others were stolen from me.”
He added that many of the referees involved back then are still active today, and called the Negreira affair “the biggest corruption case in history.”
Budapest: photos, handshakes… and a warning
Florentino spent Saturday in Budapest, where he was greeted by fans from both PSG and Arsenal, posed for photos, and chatted with former players inside the stadium.
But the key moment came in the VIP box: He informed Ceferin that the dossier is ready — and on its way.
With the case still under judicial investigation in Spain, Florentino has now taken the fight to UEFA. He promised he would. And he delivered.
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