Negreira case: Spanish football official says Real Madrid documents do not reopen investigation

Miguel Galan, president of Spain’s National Training Centre for Football Coaches, has played down the significance of UEFA receiving documents submitted by Real Madrid in the Negreira case, saying the disciplinary proceedings have not been reopened.

The comments, reported by Spanish newspaper Sport, came after Real Madrid sent UEFA a file of about 500 pages. In a statement, the club called for the disciplinary procedures previously initiated by UEFA to be reactivated immediately.

However, Galan said UEFA had only confirmed receipt of the material. He said the European governing body had indicated that its inspectors would assess the documents as part of the investigation already under way, but had not announced any new charge or reached a decision on the substance of the case.

Barcelona has also stressed that the UEFA investigation began in 2023 and has never been closed. On that basis, Galan argues that Real Madrid’s submission does not amount to the reactivation of an investigation.

The Spanish official’s analysis centres on the applicable limitation periods. He recalled that Article 80 of Law 10/1990 in Spain set a three-year limitation period for extremely serious breaches.

That led him to conclude that the case has become time-barred in relation to the events covered by that legislation.

Galan also examined the position at European level. He said: “It has not been established that there was match-fixing, fraud, bribery or corruption.”

As a result, he believes the exception under UEFA’s disciplinary regulations, which allows such offences to fall outside the normal limitation rules, cannot be applied.

He therefore maintains that the general five-year period is the relevant one in the UEFA proceedings. In his view, that period has expired without valid procedural action being taken to interrupt the limitation period.

Galan consequently argues that the disciplinary case has also become time-barred at European level.

“Simply receiving the documents does not prove any of those acts, and cannot by itself override the limitation period,” he said. “The proceedings must therefore be declared closed when that is legally required.”

The Negreira case concerns payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees in Spain. In this article, however, Galan’s comments focus on whether the relevant disciplinary proceedings can still legally continue after the passage of time.