Hansi Flick Delivers Savage Four-Word Response to Florentino Perez Rant

The Real Madrid president is extremely bitter about the ongoing Negreira case.

Barcelona were streets ahead this season. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The soccer world could hardly believe the extraordinary press conference delivered this week by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, filled with paranoid rambling, sexist comments, arguments with journalists and accusations towards Barcelona. Hansi Flick isn’t interested.

Amid Real Madrid’s meltdown over the past few months, Pérez is rattled.

Barcelona, crowned La Liga champions last weekend following victory over Real Madrid in El Clásico, was just one subject of his ire. “We won nothing this year, but I’ve only won seven Champions Leagues and seven La Ligas. And I could have won 14 [La Ligas], but the other [seven] they stole from me. So how could I not be angry? The Negreira case is the biggest scandal in football history.”

Real Madrid, Pérez claims, are demanding “sporting punishments” for Barcelona and are in the process of preparing a “dossier” to send to UEFA. In response, the Blaugrana legal department is “carefully studying his statements and accusations” and evaluating “the next steps.”

Speaking after Barcelona’s defeat to Alavés on Wednesday night, Flick’s first media appearance since Pérez went nuclear, the German coach declined to say much.

“It’s not worth an answer,” he replied when a reporter pressed for an opinion on the Real Madrid president’s accusations, dismissing the topic and scanning the room for the next question.

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When Will the Negreira Case End?

Florentino Pérez brought the Negreira case back into the spotlight. | Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Negreira case, which centers on payments totaling €8.4 million that were made by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 to companies linked with José María Enríquez Negreira. During that period, he was vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees attached to Spain’s soccer federation.

Barcelona do not deny making the payments, but insist Negreira was only paid as an external consultant for technical reporting on refereeing.

Accusations of bribing a public official were dismissed by a court in 2024 on the basis that Negreira is not considered one, but the investigation into alleged sporting corruption continues. Earlier this year, outspoken La Liga president Javier Tebas claimed it is “clear” Barcelona did not pay Negreira to influence matches, but questioned the payments being made at all.

The investigation began in 2023 and still continues. In March, a judge extended the investigation period by another six months, to September 2026. Ultimately, it will come down to whether there is evidence to demonstrate corruption, or is thrown out as a bizarre and ill-advised consultancy.

But there is no verdict or any sanctions as of yet.

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