La Liga president Javier Tebas has renewed his criticism of Real Madrid over the Negreira case, describing the club as “the most rebellious team in Spain” and saying it is “outrageous” to assert in 2026 that José María Enríquez Negreira still influences Spanish refereeing. Speaking at the first National Conference on the Press and Sport in Galicia, Tebas also linked the remark to Real Madrid’s support for the European Super League, saying the club’s leadership understands football in a way he does not.

In a detailed post on X, Tebas reiterated that what happened was “extremely serious” and must be investigated to the end, but rejected the narrative that Negreira’s influence persists today. He accused Real Madrid TV and some journalists of “inventing more” and said “repeating it on Real Madrid’s channel does not make it true.”

Tebas posed two pointed questions aimed at critics: “Do they want us to exclude Barcelona and its current board from the league? Do they want the league to replace the courts, issue its own ruling, and carry out a punishment before a judicial verdict is handed down?” He added that the statute of limitations in Spanish sporting disciplinary matters has expired, while stressing that criminal investigations must proceed.

The exchange arrives as Barcelona and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez prepare to meet in court. A Madrid court has scheduled a conciliation hearing for 25 November 2026 following Barcelona’s defamation action over Pérez’s May comments alleging systematic corruption in the Negreira case. Sources say Barcelona may pursue criminal charges if Pérez does not retract those claims.

Spanish courts are examining payments of up to about €7 million made over almost two decades by Barcelona to companies linked to Negreira, a former vice‑president of the refereeing committee, to determine whether they were intended to secure a competitive advantage. Tebas’s latest intervention underscores the league’s insistence that the process run its course without extra‑judicial punishment.