Barcelona Moves Toward Defamation Action Against Florentino Perez

Barcelona said on Friday that it has formally filed for mandatory mediation against Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, a required first step before a possible criminal defamation complaint under Spanish law. The club said the move follows Perez’s remarks at a May 12 press conference and in a media interview the next day.

According to Barcelona, the aim is to force Perez to retract statements he allegedly made knowing they were false and defamatory, harming the club’s image and reputation. The club warned that if the request is not properly addressed, it will proceed with the criminal complaint.

Perez launched his attack after the Clasico defeat that also sealed Barcelona’s title, accusing the club of running a long-term sports corruption system for more than 20 years and claiming that “seven league titles” were taken from Real Madrid because of it. He also said the club was preparing a 500-page dossier on the case to submit to UEFA.

The dispute is tied to the “Negreira affair,” an investigation into alleged corruption over payments that Barcelona supposedly made to former referee and former Spanish referees’ committee vice president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira through a consulting company he owned. Barcelona said immediately after the May 12 press conference that it would not ignore Perez’s allegations. Perez, 73, was elected this week to an eighth term as Real Madrid president.