Barcelona interim president Rafa Yuste has dismissed Florentino Perezs claims relating to the Negreira case as pathetic and says his Real Madrid counterpart is looking for excuses to disguise poor sports management.Perez slammed Barca last night at a hastily-arranged press conference in which he also took aim at boardoom detractors and the media as part of a lengthy rant that appeared to blame everyone and everything, bar himself, for the capital clubs current woes.He highlighted the Negreira case as one area in which he feels Barcelona are treated differently and said a 500-page dossier compiled by the club was almost complete and would be sent to UEFA.Table of ContentsWhat is the Negreira case?What did Perez say last night?How did Yuste respond?What is the Negreira case?The Negreira case is an ongoing investigation centred around payments of 7million made by Barca to companies linked to Jos Mara Enrquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Spanish referees committee (CTA), between 2001 and 2018.Madrid believe they led to on-field decisions in favour of Barcelona.Barca insist there was no wrongdoing and claim the payments were made to Negreira to act as a consultant on the technical aspects of refereeing.What did Perez say last night?Perez did not hold back, claiming it was the biggest case of corruption in history.He said: The corruption in the Negreira case is systemic. That we have to listen to the president of the CTA claiming these are things that must be forgotten. But why must they be forgotten? We are making a 500-page dossier that we are going to send to UEFA.There are no precedents in the history of world football. How are we going to forget the biggest case of corruption that has happened in history. It is incomprehensible that we continue to see referees of that time in a competition like La Liga.Perez even claimed Madrids trophy haul would have been far greater had that corruption not occurred.He added: I have been here I dont know how many seasons and I have only won seven European Cups and seven La Ligas, which could have been 14 because they have been stolen from me. We have made a video of the 18 points that have been taken away from us this season. I cant shut up about that.How did Yuste respond?Yuste, who is holding the role of president until Joan Laporta returns in an official capacity on July 1 after winning the March election, was forthright in his dismissal of Perezs claims.Speaking in Vitoria, ahead of the champions game against Alaves tonight, he said: Florentinos words seemed pathetic to me and full of falsehoods. The club already made a statement yesterday studying legal action but I want to say that this manoeuvre by Florentino Prez to cover up a sporting disaster that has been going on for two years will not get him anywhere.Seven La Ligas stolen? This is a total falsehood. He will know we are going to defend ourselves, we owe it to the fans and the club and no-one touches the club.Barca beat Real Madrid to retain the league title on Sunday and Yuste was eager to highlight the Catalans superiority, adding: Its not worth talking about Negreira again when we have won two league titles with a project with players from La Masia and others who have arrived from outside. We are winning it with a 14-point difference and this is a smokescreen to try to justify poor sports management. The Barca fans are very happy and nothing will take away our happiness.I saw the press conference later, not live, and it didnt make me laugh or cry. I felt sorry for him. Topics FC Barcelona Real Madrid CF Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Rafael Nadal rejects reports linking him to potential Real Madrid presidential candidate Jon Fisher 13th May, 2026 Real Madrid v Oviedo: Preview, predicted line-ups & Kylian Mbappe injury update Jon Fisher 13th May, 2026 Ancelotti backs Mourinho to do fantastic job as he dismisses b******t claim about Real Madrid players Nicholas McGee 13th May, 2026 Mbappe handed quiet warning despite Arbeloa insisting he is giving 100% for Real Madrid: This club is good for all of us Jon Fisher 13th May, 2026 Arbeloa launches defence of beleaguered Perez and Real Madrid: We are treated differently from the rest of the clubs in the world Jon Fisher 13th May, 2026 Alaves v Barcelona: Preview and predicted line-ups as champions head to La Liga strugglers Jon Fisher 13th May, 2026
