Barcelona and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez are heading for a legal showdown after a Madrid court scheduled a conciliation hearing over statements connected to the Negreira case.
Barcelona take legal action against Florentino Perez as El Clasico rivalry reaches court
The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid has moved beyond the football pitch and into the legal system.
A Madrid court has scheduled a conciliation hearing between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez for:
NOVEMBER 25, 2026
The hearing is connected to public comments made by Perez about Barcelona and the Negreira case.
Barcelona want the Real Madrid president to withdraw statements they say were false and damaging to the club’s reputation.
Barcelona and Florentino Perez heading to court
According to Spanish news agency EFE, the hearing has been scheduled in Madrid for November 25.
It is expected to take place at:
09:40 LOCAL TIME
The legal process is currently at the conciliation stage.
This means Barcelona have not yet reached the point of a completed criminal case against Perez.
The hearing is designed to give both sides a chance to resolve the dispute before Barcelona takes further legal action.
What exactly is Barcelona accusing Perez of?
The dispute comes from comments Perez made in May while discussing the Negreira case.
Barcelona argue that some of those statements went beyond criticism and damaged the club’s honour and reputation.
According to reports, Perez spoke about alleged corruption, referee influence and the legitimacy of some of Barcelona’s success during the period under investigation.
Barcelona strongly rejects the way those claims were presented.
The club says Perez made statements that it considers false and harmful.
Barcelona want a public withdrawal
Barcelona’s main demand is that Perez withdraw the statements at the centre of the dispute.
The Catalan club formally began the conciliation process in June.
The club has warned that if no agreement is reached, it plans to move forward with a criminal complaint for alleged calumny.
Under Spanish law, calumny generally involves falsely accusing another person or organisation of committing a crime while knowing the accusation is false or showing serious disregard for the truth.
That is the legal route Barcelona say they could pursue next.
This is not yet Barcelona suing Real Madrid directly
There is an important clarification behind the headlines.
The current legal action is directed at Florentino Perez personally, not directly at Real Madrid as a club.
Because Perez is the president of Real Madrid, the dispute has naturally been described as another chapter in the rivalry between the two clubs.
But from a legal point of view, the present conciliation process concerns Perez and his public comments.
Why the Negreira case is at the centre of everything
The dispute comes from the wider Negreira investigation involving Barcelona.
That case has examined payments made by Barcelona over many years to companies connected to former Spanish refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Barcelona have repeatedly denied buying referees or manipulating matches.
Perez and Real Madrid have publicly taken a much more critical position over the case.
Those public comments have now helped create a separate legal fight.
Florentino’s comments angered Barcelona
Reports say Perez used very strong language when discussing the Negreira case.
He questioned whether Barcelona had received unfair benefits and referred to corruption while speaking about the controversy.
He also suggested Real Madrid may have lost league titles during a period affected by what he described as serious problems around refereeing.
Barcelona believe those comments crossed a legal line.
The club now wants Perez to withdraw them.
What happens on November 25?
The November hearing will be an opportunity for both sides to reach an agreement.
Several outcomes are possible.
Perez could agree to clarify or withdraw some statements.
The two sides could reach another form of settlement.
Or the conciliation process could fail.
If no agreement is reached, Barcelona have indicated they are prepared to continue with further criminal legal action.
No ruling against Perez yet
Despite the strong headlines surrounding the story, there has not been a court ruling finding Perez guilty of any offence.
There has also been no judgment awarding Barcelona damages.
The process is still at an early legal stage.
The November hearing is therefore important because it may decide whether the dispute becomes a larger criminal case.
Real Madrid and Barcelona already fighting on several fronts
The relationship between Spain’s two biggest clubs has become increasingly tense away from the pitch.
Real Madrid have been heavily involved in issues connected to the Negreira investigation.
The club has also pushed for greater examination of the case by football authorities.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have criticised statements made by Perez and Real Madrid figures about the controversy.
The legal battle is now adding another layer to one of football’s biggest rivalries.
The Negreira investigation continues separately
The new dispute between Barcelona and Perez should not be confused with the original Negreira investigation.
They are separate legal matters.
The Negreira case concerns the historic payments and the wider investigation around them.
The Barcelona-Perez dispute concerns:
WHAT FLORENTINO PEREZ SAID PUBLICLY ABOUT THE CASE
That distinction is important.
El Clasico rivalry reaches a new level
Barcelona and Real Madrid have fought for trophies, players and power for more than a century.
Now one of their biggest modern disputes is heading into a courtroom.
Barcelona want Perez to withdraw statements they believe damaged the club’s reputation.
Perez now faces a scheduled conciliation hearing on November 25.
If no agreement is reached, Barcelona could take the next legal step.
For now, the biggest rivalry in Spanish football has opened a completely new chapter.
El Clasico is no longer only being fought on the pitch.
