The Spanish referees' association rejects Florentino Pérez's statements

Published on January 06, 2026 | Translated from Spanish
Official statement from the Spanish Football Referees' Association on a meeting table, with the AESAF logo visible.

Spanish Referees' Association Rejects Florentino Pérez's Statements

The Spanish Football Referees' Association (AESAF) has issued a statement to express its total disagreement with the claims made by Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, this Monday. These statements, linked to the Negreira case, have generated strong controversy in Spanish football. ⚽

An Institutional Defense of the Refereeing Collective

The organization that groups the referees points out that this type of statement severely harms the public image of referees and sports in general. AESAF emphasizes that its members work with integrity and professionalism, and that generic accusations, without solid foundations, erode trust in a figure already subjected to constant pressure.

Key Points of AESAF's Response:
  • Reject any attempt to personalize attacks or publicly delegitimize referees without concrete evidence.
  • Defend the honesty of the collective and demand respect for their daily work on the fields.
  • Demand that any criticism be based on verifiable facts and not on insinuations or assumptions.
The entity asks that the work of referees be respected and that any criticism be based on verifiable facts and not on insinuations.

The Context of Tension from the Negreira Case

Florentino Pérez's words are framed within the ongoing judicial investigation into the payments from FC Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees. This matter has kept Spanish football on edge for several months and has created a climate of deep distrust.

Elements Evidencing Institutional Fracture:
  • The immediate reaction from AESAF reflects the latent tension between some elite clubs and the refereeing body.
  • The public controversy highlights a significant rift between key institutions in national football.
  • While the courts investigate, the development of the competition is overshadowed by constant controversy.

A Whistle Sounding Amid Statements

The current situation creates a complex scenario where on-field activity and judicial processes advance in parallel. Every refereeing decision and every match is now played under the shadow of this institutional conflict. The ball keeps rolling and the referee keeps whistling, but every action seems to be analyzed under a magnifying glass influenced by the latest press headlines and official statements. 🤨