Real Madrid hands over Negrera's case file to UEFA and hopes for sanctions against Barcelona

A state of relief prevails within the Spanish club Real Madrid, after it handed over the file of the Negrera case, in which arch-rival Barcelona is accused, to the European Football Association (UEFA).

Barcelona was a party to the case that was raised a few years ago regarding the nature of its cooperation with the Vice-President of the Technical Committee of Referees in the Spanish Federation, who left his position.

The Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that UEFA's confirmation of its receipt of the Negrera case file goes beyond simply adding information to the file that was already opened in 2023, which UEFA does not intend to close before a court ruling is issued in Spain regarding it.

However, Real Madrid officials believe that this comprehensive report - which exceeds 50,000 pages and was submitted by the club on June 17 - will be a crucial element for UEFA to take action against Barcelona. The European Union now has the necessary information about the case, information that the Commission lacked until now.

This information also explains why the case file remains pending without treatment until that moment.

The report explained that Real Madrid's satisfaction stems from the availability of sufficient evidence to move in accordance with the regulations, which stipulate the possibility of imposing penalties on any club that is directly or indirectly involved in any purposeful activity to manipulate and influence matches, whether locally or internationally, which may lead to the exclusion of this club from the Champions League for one season, in addition to a financial fine.

Real Madrid also believes that Barcelona's behavior of paying money to the Vice-Chairman of the Referees Committee over a period of 15 years is a serious violation of European Union (UEFA) regulations.

The Royal Club is seeking to take legal measures regarding the matter in Spain, as it has joined as a party to the case, and it is considered that the file submitted to UEFA justifies this step in order to take disciplinary measures against the Catalan club.

Brazilian Neto, Juventus goalkeeper, admitted that the team has changed a lot since the last time he played there in 2017, but he feels a very positive influence with coach Luciano Spalletti.

The goalkeeper joined the team as a free agent last week, after it was announced that Camil Grabara would miss the rest of the season due to a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

This led to Neto's return to Juventus, where he previously played from 2015 to 2017, although he notes that major changes have occurred at the club.

The Brazilian player told Sky Sport Italia: “When I received a call from Juventus, it was the first time in my life that I was able to stay at home, enjoy my time with my family and spend some time alone.”

He added: “I was watching the Davis Cup match between Brazil and Switzerland, but when Juventus called me, I did not hesitate for a moment.”

He also said: “A lot has changed since his departure, as he played during that period for clubs such as Arsenal and Barcelona.”

He continued: “Returning to a place you know well means that you will not need time to adapt. However, we were previously used to training at Vinovo, so the Continassa complex is new to us; “What they have succeeded in building here is truly amazing, and the club deserves all the credit.”

He said: “I have always wanted to return to Italy for a few years, so I am very happy and ready to take on this challenge. “I had never worked with Spalletti before, but he left a very positive impression on me.”

CBS Sports has officially announced that it has terminated its contract with Tony Romo, a month after the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback pleaded no contest to charges of driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Romo has been on vacation since his arrest on July 23 in the US state of Wisconsin, where he has been the main analyst for NFL games on CBS since 2017.

The network said in a statement on Friday: “CBS and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to terminate the contract. We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years, and wish him well in the future.”

Romo was arrested after a traffic stop while driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. He pleaded no contest to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol on September 1, and issued a statement in which he apologized for the actions that led to his arrest.