FC Barcelona find themselves caught up in one of the most drastic corruption allegations in football history. The Spanish court and UEFA have launched probes into payments exceeding €7.3 million made to an organization owned by former refereeing chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
In this challenging state of affairs, the Catalan club still hasn’t escaped the possibility of missing Champions League football next season. By June 12, the final roster of teams participating in European competitions must be submitted, as reported by Diario AS. FC Barcelona however remain watchful of UEFA’s timeline amidst the shadowing threat of sanctions related to the ‘Negreira case’.
As per recent reports from SPORT, UEFA demands the list of clubs participating in upcoming European competitions, including the Champions League, by June 12 at the latest. The Spanish Federation oversees this process, according to the set regulations. The first step involves submitting a provisional list by May 19th, as the local tournaments will still be in progress.
UEFA is bound to make a decision, considering the possibility of Barcelona’s appeal to CAS if they are excluded from European competitions next season. Club President Laporta is positive that the communication with UEFA will have a positive outcome. Furthermore, UEFA has in place, an additional disciplinary trajectory, commencing a file last March with an ongoing investigation. They don’t need a formal verdict to impose certain penalties on Barcelona.
Barcelona’s financial complications continue to affect the club, and now the added threat of potential UEFA Champions League exclusion adds fuel to the fire. Amidst these recurring challenges, the reported reunion of Lionel Messi remains a glimmer of hope for the Catalan club.
