Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid to appear in legal proceedings for Barcelona-Negreira case
Real Madrid have released an official statement, citing their concerns over the findings of an investigation involving Barcelona and their alleged involvement in the Enriquez Negreira payoff scandal.
The investigation had accused Barcelona of being a part of the corruption that involved payments to Enriquez Negreira worth up to €7 million, for insights regarding refereeing. There are claims of payments being made to manipulate results too.
Barcelona are said to be charged by the Prosecutor’s office in Spain, and if proven, the club could face serious sanctions.
The entire ordeal had led to Real Madrid calling for a meeting of its Board of Directors, just before the Espanyol game, leaving Barcelona very attentive to the situation.
The Spanish champions have now come up with an official statement, which suggests that the club will appear in legal proceedings.
“Real Madrid expresses its deep concern about the seriousness of the facts and reiterates its full confidence in the action of justice and has agreed that, in defense of its legitimate interests, it will appear in the procedure as soon as the judge opens it to the parties harmed,” the statement reads.
Although Real Madrid and Barcelona have acted together in good faith in recent years, especially in matters related to the Super League, Real Madrid’s involvement in the legal proceedings could raise tension between the two entities.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
