rewrite this title Madrid’s Alonso: Truth needed in Barça ref case

Xabi Alonso has backed Florentino Pérez’s call for “justice” in the Negreira investigation, with the Real Madrid coach saying that “for the good of football, we need to find out the truth of what happened.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta — as well as former coaches Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde — gave evidence as witnesses on Friday to the judge leading the inquiry into over €7 million ($8.2m) of payments made by Barça to former referees’ committee vice president José María Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018.

On Monday, Madrid president Pérez criticised Spain’s referees and Spanish football’s governing bodies in a speech during the club’s Christmas reception for the media, calling the Negreira case “the biggest scandal in the history of football.”

Pérez argued that Spanish football had “left [Real Madrid] alone” in facing the issue, said the Negreira inquiry highlighted the need for “radical change” and suggested that “it’s possible that clubs were relegated” as a consequence of the case.

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“We share the position of the club and the president,” Alonso said in a news conference on Tuesday ahead of Madrid’s trip to Talavera de la Reina in the Copa del Rey. “The most important thing is that for the good of football, we need to find out the truth of what happened.”

The criminal investigation into the Negreira case has already been ongoing for 2½ years, with judge Alejandra Gil now set to decide whether the case should proceed to a full trial.

Barcelona have admitted that the payments were made to companies linked to Negreira, but Laporta repeated in testimony on Friday that they were made in exchange for scouting reports on referees.

“We’re all human and make mistakes. But here, there was a case that needs to be investigated,” Alonso said on Tuesday. “Abroad, what happened here really surprises people, that there’ve been no consequences, or responsibility [taken]. That’s why it’s very important to find out what happened. It isn’t normal, and it can’t be taken as normal.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the recently-formed Spanish referees’ union, AESAF, released a statement criticising Pérez for his comments on officials, with the union stressing that “no referee has been investigated or charged” during the Negreira inquiry.

“It’s legitimate that everyone defends their own interests,” Alonso said, when asked about the statement.

Alonso’s position as coach has been questioned after a string of disappointing results and performances, although Madrid bounced back with a 2-1 win at Alavés on Sunday. “The situation before and after [Alavés] is the same: we have very good communication, we’re in this together,” Alonso said.

ESPN has reported that Madrid’s form had led senior executives to doubt Alonso’s methods, and player management.

“The Xabi who arrived in June isn’t the same now,” Alonso said. “The essence, yes, but it’s about learning, adapting, getting to know [the squad]. I suppose it’s the same for the players too… If we’re a better team in March than we are now, that’s good news, and at the end of the season, even better.”