Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has declared that his club's relationship with Barcelona is "completely broken," escalating tensions between Spanish football's two biggest powerhouses to unprecedented levels.
Hot on the heels of a dramatic press conference that sent shockwaves through La Liga, Perez sat down for an extensive interview with journalist Josep Pedrerol, maintaining the aggressive tone that had already sparked major controversy across Spanish football.
At the heart of the renewed hostilities lies the ongoing Negreira scandal, which has cast a shadow over Barcelona's historical payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's refereeing committee. This controversy has been simmering beneath the surface of Spanish football for months, and Perez has now turned up the heat significantly.
"Barça would do well to sue me. If they think they should, let them do it," Perez challenged defiantly, responding to reports that Barcelona is considering legal action against him following his earlier comments.
The Real Madrid chief doubled down on his club's position, painting Los Blancos as the true victims in this saga. "I found out about the Negreira case three years ago. It wasn't Madrid who brought it to light, but the tax authorities, who spotted something odd," he explained. "The first to present itself as the aggrieved party is Real Madrid; LaLiga steps in without asking questions – it is an accomplice and an enemy of Madrid. And the Referees' Committee said we should just forget about it."
In a move that could escalate matters to the European stage, Perez revealed Madrid's intention to take their documentation to UEFA. "We will submit all the documentation from these years to UEFA. Ceferin has told me that's fine, that we are within our rights. It's documentation from the..." he stated, leaving the sentence hanging.
For fans and followers of Spanish football, this latest chapter in the storied rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona represents a dangerous new frontier. While on-pitch battles have always been fierce, the off-pitch war of words has rarely reached such personal and legal territory. The Negreira case continues to be a festering wound in Spanish football, and with Perez now openly challenging Barcelona to take him to court, the gloves have truly come off.