Real Madrid fans take Negreira case protest to Champions League stage

Real Madrid supporters used their Champions League match against Leipzig to renew their criticism of Barcelona and Spanish football officials, displaying an English-language banner at the Santiago Bernabeu which read: “No impunity for Negreira.”

The message was raised by sections of the stadium during the second half, signalling the supporters’ desire to keep the allegations surrounding the Negreira case in the focus of the wider European football community.

The banner attracted considerable attention during the match. It was shown by television cameras and also appeared on the stadium’s giant screens, allowing it to be seen around the Bernabeu’s circular 360-degree viewing area.

According to Madrid-based newspaper AS, the display was accompanied by chants directed at Barcelona and figures within Spanish football. The Catalan newspaper Sport also published a video of the banner on X, captioned: “The ‘Negreira case’ banner returns to the Bernabeu! This time, the message appears in English: ‘No impunity for Negreira’.”

Supporters also sang “Laporta keeps paying”, “Tebas, leave now” and “Barcelona… corruption”. Other chants accused the Spanish Football Federation of corruption, while another declared: “Negreira is still refereeing.”

The protest, including both the banner and the chants, lasted for about five minutes. It ended when the banner was folded after Arda Guler scored Real Madrid’s second goal, bringing one of the most prominent fan-led moments of the match to a close.

The demonstration forms part of Real Madrid supporters’ continuing campaign over the Negreira case, which concerns payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees.

Real Madrid have also taken the matter beyond Spain by submitting it to UEFA. The club’s action reflects an effort to ensure the case remains under consideration by football authorities outside the country, while the supporters’ banner was intended to deliver the same message to an international audience.

The post showing the banner was published by Sport on 21 October 2026.