UEFA Opens Investigation Into FC Barcelona Referee Payments Scandal With Champions League Ban Possible

European football governing body UEFA has opened its own investigation into FC Barcelona’s payments to the Former Vice President of the Spanish Technical Committee of Referees Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, with a ban from playing in the Champions Leauge a possible outcome.

The Catalan club was charged for “continued corruption between individuals in the sports field” by the Barcelona provincial prosecutor’s office almost a fortnight ago.

The day before this development, it was reported that UEFA
EFA
had requested information from the Spanish Football Federation regarding the case and was following its developments closely.

This caused it to be claimed that there were “growing fears” of a potential sanction which could affect Barca’s participation in European competition such as the Champions League next term, especially when considering their continued support for the breakaway European Super League alonside Real Madrid and Juventus.

On Thursday this week, various outlets such as El Chiringuito, MARCA, and AS reported that UEFA had opened its own investigation into the scandal ahead of the European governing body releasing a statement on the matter.

That speaks of a “potential violation” of its laws, and it has been claimed that UEFA can sanction Barca if it thinks there have been irregularities that violate its disciplinary code.

“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’. Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course,” the statement read.

As was said two weeks ago, UEFA can punish any club “if an activity has been committed to organize or influence the result of a match at a national or international level”, and it may exercise a sanction “effective only for one football season”.

One of these sanctions could be banning Barca from playing the Champions League in 2023/2024, which would cause them great financial harm during a delicate economic moment.

Given their current 12-point lead at the summit, Barca are on track to comfortably qualify for continental football’s premier tournament as La Liga winners for the first time in four years.

Former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, plus former CEO Oscar Grau and the former club director of professional sports Albert Soler, have also been charged individually alongside Negreira – who Barca have been reported as paying almost €7 million ($7.6 million) from 2001 to 2018.

Barca have denied any wrongdoing, with current president Joan Laporta saying that each payment can be proven as honest for consultation services through “invoices and documentary and video support”.