‘It’s not normal!’ – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reignites Barcelona feud with fresh ‘paid €8m to referees’ jibe
“It’s not normal that Barcelona has paid the vice president of referees more than €8m for at least 17 years, whatever the reason,” Perez denounced before the members. “I repeat: whatever the reason, it’s not normal.”
He continued to say that Enríquez Negreira held “a key position in the refereeing hierarchy,” responsible for referee promotions and demotions. “A period that coincides, coincidentally, with Barcelona’s best sporting results in our country,” added Perez.
Perez used charts and data to back up his claims. “Real Madrid had a net balance of two red cards in 2021,” he explained. “And Barcelona, 61 red cards. That’s a difference of no less than 59. On the other hand, during the same period, the balance in Europe is almost identical: +12 for Barca and +13 for Madrid.
“Bayern and Dortmund have the same balance, and so do the major leagues. The red card balance during the Negreira period at Barcelona was +49 and at Real Madrid, -1. Draw your own conclusions.”
