UEFA confirmed Barcelona’s place within the subsequent Champions League on Thursday although stated an investigation into greater than $7 million paid to a refereeing official could possibly be reopened if extra proof emerges.
Barcelona’s place within the Champions League group stage price tens of hundreds of thousands of euros ({dollars}) – earned by successful the Spanish league final season – may have been in danger from the so-called “Caso Negreira” case.
Courtroom paperwork present Barcelona paid 7.3 million euros ($7.7 million) from 2001-18 to the corporate of José María Enríquez Negreira, the previous vice chairman of Spanish soccer’s refereeing committee.
Prosecutors in Spain formally accused Barcelona of corruption in sports activities, fraudulent administration and falsification of enterprise paperwork.
Nonetheless, no clear allegations of any particular mounted video games or referees who had been influenced have emerged since UEFA opened its investigation in March.
UEFA competitors guidelines require groups to be faraway from one season of European competitors if they’re implicated in fixing any home or worldwide recreation since April 2007. Additional disciplinary punishments may additionally observe.
UEFA stated Thursday that Barcelona is now “provisionally admitted to participate” within the Champions League although a “future choice on admission/exclusion” remains to be attainable. The Champions League group-stage draw is on Aug. 31.
Barcelona has constantly denied any wrongdoing or battle of curiosity, saying it paid for technical reviews on referees however by no means tried to affect their selections in video games.
The UEFA investigation was performed whereas it’s nonetheless being pursued by Barcelona on the European Courtroom of Justice in Luxembourg over the Tremendous League mission that failed in 2021.
Barcelona, Actual Madrid and Juventus have argued that UEFA has monopoly management blocking rival competitions.