Real Madrid to take legal action amid bribery accusations

La Liga giants Real Madrid are set to take legal action against former police chief, Jose Manuel Villarejo, who’s claimed they have bribed match officials in the past.

One of the biggest clubs in Spanish football have been at the centre of a controversy involving bribes and paying match officials for more favourable decisions during games, something that the Catalonian giants have since denied.

It’s been dubbed the Negreira Case and Barcelona manager Xavi has often refused to speak about it and often tells reporters that information will continue to come out in the media about what the latest updates are.

However, it now appears that Barcelona are not the only team who have reportedly been doing some shady business off the pitch in recent times if former police chief Villarejo is to be believed as he’s claimed that the Losa Blancos giants looked to pay match officials.

What have Real Madrid been accused of?

The Spaniard who recently spent four years in prison for several charges is now set to stand trial while out on bail and during that time he has accused several high-profile figures in Spanish football of being involved in illegal activities off the pitch, although some of them have not proved to be true, some of them have been.

Villarejo has claimed that Real Madrid were paying match officials before their La Liga rivals Barcelona did so, which would be a major development in Spanish football but also in the Negreira Case which has engulfed the Catalonian club.

The comments from Villarejo came about from when he spoke to RAC1 and said: “Before Barcelona did it, Real Madrid did so.

“Nothing will happen to Florentino, because he is untouchable. It’s impossible to take anything that affects Florentino to court, claiming that it would be suicidal for anyone to try to do so.”

Florentino Perez to take legal action

Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid and the club president, Florentino Perez, have not taken these accusations kindly or lightly with the club releasing a statement insisting that Perez intends to take legal action against Villarejo for his comments.

The club statement was short and sweet as it read: “The president of Real Madrid CF, Florentino Pérez, has ordered the immediate presentation of the corresponding judicial action against former commissioner Villarejo for the false accusations made on the Catalan radio station RAC1.”

The former police chief is yet to provide any sort of substantial evidence to his allegations, so as it stands, they are all unfound and should not be taken as gospel from Villarejo.