Barcelona files lawsuit against Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez

FC Barcelona announced on Wednesday that it has initiated legal proceedings against Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, filing a mandatory conciliation request as a precursor to a criminal complaint for slander. The club accuses Pérez of making false and defamatory statements that harm Barcelona's image and reputation.

Legal action over alleged slander

In an official statement, Barcelona said it had submitted the conciliation request under Article 205 of the Spanish Criminal Code, which covers the crime of slander. The move follows comments made by Pérez during a press conference on May 12 and in an interview with a media outlet the following day.

“The objective of this lawsuit is for Mr. Pérez to retract certain statements he made with knowledge of his falsehood and that are slanderous and offensive to the image and reputation of the Club,” the statement read.

Conciliation process before criminal complaint

Spanish law requires a conciliation attempt before a criminal complaint for slander can be filed. Barcelona stated that if Pérez does not properly attend to the demand for retraction, the club will proceed with a formal criminal complaint.

The club did not specify which particular statements it considers defamatory, but the legal action underscores the escalating tensions between the two Spanish football giants. Barcelona emphasized that the lawsuit aims to protect its institutional integrity.

As of now, Real Madrid and Florentino Pérez have not issued a public response to the legal move.