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Real Madrid have taken a proactive stance in recent months regarding the Negreira case, intensifying their efforts to ensure Barcelona face disciplinary measures.

Barcelona, however, maintain that no ‘crime’ was committed and argue that the payments made to the former vice president of the CTA were for legitimate refereeing reports, not for influencing match officials.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reportedly met with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to discuss the case, presenting what he claims is substantial evidence proving misconduct.

Despite persistent lobbying from Los Blancos, UEFA has so far remained silent on the issue.

Real Madrid continue to press UEFA to impose sanctions on Barcelona, including the possibility of barring them from European competitions, citing the recent revelations as justification.

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, however, the European football governing body is not rushing into any decision regarding the matter.

UEFA initially launched a preliminary investigation into the case in 2023 but decided not to conclude it, choosing instead to wait for the Spanish criminal courts to deliver their final verdict before determining its next steps.

UEFA will only act once a definitive judgment has been handed down by the Spanish judicial system.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, believe that delaying justice equates to denying it. They argue that UEFA’s statutes do not impose any specific time limitation on disciplinary action in cases involving corruption or bribery, which highlights the gravity of such offences.

At present, Barcelona face no sanctions from UEFA and continue to participate freely in European competitions.

UEFA’s stance remains to await the Spanish courts’ conclusion before deciding whether to take disciplinary action. However, the legal framework in Spain differs significantly from UEFA’s approach.

While UEFA imposes no time limit on corruption-related cases, the regulations of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) specify a much shorter limitation period. Even in cases of serious misconduct, the statute of limitations expires after three years.

Given that the last of the alleged payments took place in 2018 and only came to light in 2023, the limitation period had already lapsed, making it impossible for Spanish authorities to enforce any sporting sanctions on Barcelona, such as competition bans or points deductions.

It now remains to be seen whether UEFA will take independent action or continue to wait for the outcome of the criminal proceedings in Spain.