Barcelona have formally urged La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and the Referee’s Technical Committee (CTA) to initiate immediate legal proceedings against Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. The Catalan club issued a strong statement condemning Perez’s recent public remarks, describing them as a serious attack on the integrity and image of Spanish football.

Official complaint submitted

In a statement published on Wednesday via their official website, Barcelona confirmed that vice-president Rafael Yuste had sent a formal letter to the key figures in Spanish football governance. The message was addressed to La Liga president Javier Tebas, Spanish Football Federation chief Rafael Louzan, and Referee’s Technical Committee head Francisco Soto.

The Catalan outfit has demanded an institutional response to Perez’s comments made during public appearances on May 12 and May 13. According to the club, the Real Madrid president’s statements were completely false and represented a direct assault on the honour of Spain’s top division, its refereeing community, and the credibility of the professional game.

Call for coordinated legal action

Barcelona have called on competition organisers to safeguard the integrity of their institutions, referring to the club’s recent appeal for conciliation. Their official communication emphasised the need for urgent and coordinated legal measures against Perez. The latest escalation comes after the Madrid president’s controversial television interview, in which he discussed the Negreira case.

During that interview, Perez claimed that the relationship between Real Madrid and Barcelona had completely collapsed, accusing the system of widespread corruption. The Real Madrid chief has repeatedly referred to the Negreira case, in which Barcelona were found to have made payments to a CTA official, leading to an ongoing legal investigation. Responding to these accusations, Yuste previously delivered a sharp rebuttal, asserting that Perez’s claims served as a distraction from Real Madrid’s struggles following two years without major domestic honours.

Escalating war of words

The long-standing rivalry between the two Spanish giants has intensified in recent days, culminating in Barcelona’s unprecedented official complaint. Before submitting the formal letter, Yuste had already issued a fierce public response to allegations of refereeing bias.

He dismissed Perez’s assertions as a desperate attempt to divert attention from Real Madrid’s on-field shortcomings. Standing firm, Yuste declared: “The words of Florentino seemed pathetic and full of falsehoods to me. The club already issued a statement yesterday studying legal action, but I want to say that this manoeuvre by Florentino Perez to cover up a sporting disaster that has been going on for two years will not get him anywhere.”

Awaiting official response

Attention now turns to La Liga, the RFEF, and the CTA to determine how they will respond to Barcelona’s explosive demand. Should the governing bodies choose not to sanction Perez, the Catalan club has made it clear that they are ready to pursue independent legal action to defend their reputation in court in the coming weeks.