Barcelona could miss Champions League over corruption charge

• Barcelona could be barred from playing in the UEFA Champions League next season
• The La Liga giants have been charged with corruption and attempting to fix matches’ outcome
• Should they be found guilty there are several punishments that are in line according to UEFA and FIFA laws

If Barcelona is discovered to have engaged in corruption and attempted match-fixing, they risk being barred from the UEFA Champions League.

Following the Negreira scandal, Spanish authorities formally brought corruption charges against Barcelona on Friday.

While it was in the past only claimed that Barça had paid former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, for information and analysis on certain match officials, the allegations suggest that there was an intent to gain an unfair sporting advantage in lieu of favourable decisions.

“Through presidents [Sandro] Rosell and [Josep Maria] Bartomeu, Barcelona reached and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with the defendant Negreira, so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the refereeing committee and in exchange for money, he would carry out actions aimed at favouring Barcelona in the decision making of the referees in the matches played by the club, and thus in the results of the competitions,” Spanish prosecutors said.

Although Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has argued that Barcelona cannot be penalized under the Spanish football system because the charges arise from conduct that occurred more than three years ago, UEFA may still take enforcement action.

Barcelona manager Xavi could see his side barred from the UEFA Champions League with corruption charges against the club. | PHOTO: Eric Alonso |

According to Marca, due to possible harm to UEFA’s reputation, Barça might be prohibited from participating in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League even before the case is decided.

Officially, UEFA has a much higher threshold than La Liga and can disqualify teams from competitions based on past allegations of match-fixing going back to 2007.

Officially, UEFA has a much higher threshold than La Liga and can disqualify teams from competitions based on past allegations of match-fixing going back to 2007.

Article 4.01, section G, of UEFA’s Champions League regulations, reads: “To be eligible to participate in the competition, clubs must not have been directly and/or indirectly involved, since the entry into force of Article 50(3) of the UEFA Statutes, i.e. 27 April 2007, in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level and confirm this to the UEFA administration in writing.”

Barcelona is nine points ahead at the top of La Liga and is almost certain to advance to the Champions League for next season.