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Florentino Pérez summoned to court by FC Barcelona over defamation claims
A Madrid court has summoned Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez and representatives from FC Barcelona to a conciliation hearing scheduled for November 25 at 09:40. This legal proceeding serves as a mandatory preliminary step before Barcelona can file a formal criminal defamation lawsuit under Article 205 of Spain's Criminal Code.
The dispute stems from statements made by Pérez in May regarding the Negreira affair, an investigation into payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to a former Spanish refereeing official. Pérez accused Barcelona of systemic corruption and claimed that Real Madrid had been robbed of seven league titles due to biased officiating.
Barcelona demands that Pérez publicly retract these statements, which the club describes as “knowingly false, defamatory and damaging to the club’s image and reputation.” If the conciliation fails or if Pérez refuses to retract his comments, Barcelona intends to proceed with criminal charges. The hearing will take place in courtrooms 1 and 2 in Madrid.
Entities
FC Barcelona · Florentino Pérez · Joan Laporta · José María Enríquez Negreira · Madrid Courts · Negreira affair · Negreira case · Real Madrid · Real Madrid CF · UEFA