Amid ongoing public relations crises at both Barcelona and Manchester City, the English newspaper The Daily Telegraph has published an article suggesting that Pep Guardiola is facing difficult circumstances. His achievements at Manchester City are now under scrutiny, and Barcelona's past successes during his tenure there are also being questioned. The full translation of the article is as follows:

Barcelona has been accused of paying €8.4 million to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain's refereeing committee, according to new documents obtained by UEFA.

As Guardiola's Manchester City legacy faces increasing scrutiny, his Barcelona achievements are also coming under question. For the 55-year-old manager, this has not been an easy week. While he had staunchly defended Manchester City's owners in their Premier League disputes, he has remained silent on the latest developments in Spain's explosive "Negreira case."

In this affair, Barcelona is accused of paying José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain's refereeing committee, €8.4 million (approximately £7.2 million) between 2001 and 2018. Guardiola was Barcelona's manager from 2008 to 2012.

UEFA has been investigating these payments since 2023, and on Thursday, the European football body announced it had obtained new documents related to the case.

Who provided these documents? None other than Barcelona's old rival Real Madrid. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez warned earlier this year that his club was gathering evidence to investigate what he called "the biggest scandal in history," and it appears he has now submitted his findings.

"Barcelona is innocent."

In a statement released by Real Madrid, it said: "Our club's complaint contains extensive documents and evidence concerning serious matters that directly affect the integrity of competitions and confidence in the refereeing system."

Barcelona has consistently denied wrongdoing, insisting that the payments to Negreira were for consulting and technical reports. In 2023, Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated emphatically: "Let me be clear. Barcelona has never bought referees. Barcelona has never intended to buy referees, never."

The payments came to light following a tax investigation into Negreira's company, Dasnil 95. Because so much time has passed, LaLiga was unable to open its own investigation, as the matter had exceeded the statute of limitations.

Guardiola said in 2023: "When the verdict comes out, I will share my thoughts. If there is no evidence against Barcelona, then Barcelona is innocent, and Laporta is innocent."

Speaking about Barcelona's achievements in winning the Champions League in 2009 and 2011, Guardiola added that they were "much stronger than their competitors" and "won all the trophies."

UEFA said the documents submitted by Real Madrid are "important" and confirmed that its investigators will assess them as "part of the current review."

Barcelona's response to Real Madrid's involvement made clear that no new proceedings have been initiated against the club.

The club stated in a statement: "UEFA's announcement confirms receipt of documents submitted by Real Madrid and indicates that investigators will assess them within the current investigation framework."

"The documents explicitly state in two places 'ongoing investigations and re-evaluations.' Therefore, this does not announce the initiation, resumption, or re-opening of legal proceedings, nor does it assess the substance or significance of the provided documents."

"How investigators decide to proceed with these documents is up to them. To date, they have not made new demands on Barcelona Football Club, nor have they transmitted Real Madrid's complaint to the club. Should they do so, the club will respond appropriately as it has done previously."

Barcelona could face a Champions League ban if found to have engaged in "any action intended to alter match results or interfere with the proper conduct of a competition."

What concerns Guardiola more, however, is that an adverse ruling against his former club—whether justified or not—could tarnish the legacy of success he built at Camp Nou. His current team, Manchester City, is also unstable, making this latest development particularly poorly timed.

Similarly, Manchester City Chief Executive Ferran Soriano faces difficult circumstances. Soriano held senior positions at Barcelona from 2003 to 2008 before moving to Manchester City in 2012.

Another figure who held important roles at both clubs is Txiki Begiristain, who served as Barcelona's director of football and as Manchester City's director of football until he departed in 2025.

There is currently no evidence suggesting improper conduct by Guardiola, Soriano, or Begiristain individually.

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