Two UEFA inspectors have come to the conclusion that Barcelona deserves to be punished with Champions League ban for the coming season because of the “Negreira” case, Spanish ABC reports.
The inspectors have analyzed the topic and, based on the information gathered, have prepared a report according to which the five-time European club champion should be sanctioned.
Now UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin is faced with the choice of whether to listen to the inspectors’ conclusion or wait first for the decision of the Spanish authorities, who are also working on the case.
? According to @abc_es, Two UEFA inspectors have concluded that FC Barcelona must be sanctioned for the Negreira case & left out of the Champions League for one season. Aleksander Ceferin is now debating on what he should do. pic.twitter.com/FjJJOwKdVR
— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) June 1, 2023
A revelation showed that between 2001 and 2018, the Catalans paid 7.3 million euros to Jose Maria Henriques Negreira for various services, often described simply as “consultations”. The problem, however, is that the person in question was the vice-president of the Referee Commission in Spain. This is considered a conflict of interest because Negreira may have influenced the referees’ decisions.