Real Madrid supporters protested against La Liga president Javier Tebas and Barcelona president Joan Laporta during the club’s 4-1 victory over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday.
According to a report on Real Madrid’s official website, fans in the south stand displayed a large banner reading, “This isn’t football, it’s Tebas and Negreira,” expressing their dissatisfaction with the handling of the Negreira case.
Supporters also chanted slogans calling for Tebas to resign and criticising the football authorities. Some of the chants included “Tebas, leave now,” “Javier Tebas, resign,” “Laporta is still paying,” and “Corruption in the Federation.”
The protests centred on the Negreira case, which involves payments made by Barcelona to companies linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee. The payments have been the subject of investigations and allegations of possible influence over refereeing decisions, claims Barcelona has denied.
The demonstrations highlighted the continued tension surrounding the case and the concerns expressed by sections of Real Madrid’s support over the governance of Spanish football.
Although Real Madrid secured a convincing 4-1 victory against Sevilla, the protests provided a significant off-field talking point, with supporters using the occasion to renew their criticism of Tebas, Laporta and the handling of the controversy.
