Barcelona could be banned from the Champions League, with UEFA investigating payments made by the club to a former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee.
According to court documents, the Catalan outfit paid €7.3m (£6.4m) to two companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018.
Champions League regulations, in effect since 2007, allow UEFA to ban teams from the competition for a season if they are proved to be involved in foul play.
“In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have today been appointed to conduct an investigation regarding a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework by FC Barcelona in connection with the so-called ‘Caso Negreira’,” read a statement from UEFA.
“Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.”
Barcelona have maintained that they just paid for technical reports on referees, but it is claimed that Negreira, the former vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee, influenced individual games.
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Former club presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell have both been charged with corruption as part of the probe.
Prosecutors in Spain have charged the Catalan firm outfit with fraudulent management, breach of trust, and falsification of corporate documents, following an investigation by tax authorities.
“Let it be clear Barca have never bought referees and Barca have never had the intention of buying referees, absolutely never,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated earlier this month.
“It’s not chance that this comes out now, when Barca are doing well.”
Barcelona now leads the La Liga table courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in El Clasico last weekend, and they will next be in action away to bottom-of-the-division Elche on April 1.
