After Spanish prosecutors filed charges against Barcelona, UEFA launched an investigation.
If clubs are proven to be engaging in match-fixing, they may be banned by the regulatory body. While under investigation, Barcelona has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
UEFA will decide whether Barcelona will be banned from the Champions League by June
It was revealed that Barcelona paid millions of dollars to companies linked to a Spanish refereeing official. UEFA is reportedly aiming to make a decision by June on whether to ban the club from next season’s Champions League.
Prosecutors have filed corruption charges against Barcelona FC for allegedly bribing the vice president of the Spanish referees’ committee.
Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira has been accused of taking action that would “lead to Barcelona being favoured in the decision making of the referees in exchange for money the club is said to have offered, “in order to maintain a relationship with the club.
The prosecution claims that the club paid €7.3m (£6.46m) to DASNIL and NILSAT, two firms owned by Negreira.
Aleksander Ceferin, head of UEFA, claimed to have been made aware of the gravity of the situation.
Since an external disciplinary board is conducting the investigation, Ceferin declined further comment. In February, the scandal began when it was discovered that Barcelona had paid a company owned by Negreira £1.2m over a two-year period ending in 2018 for “technical advice on referees.”
