FC Barcelona may be sanctioned by UEFA for "Caso Negreira" referee commission payments.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has hinted at a potential sanction for FC Barcelona over their 'Caso Negreira' scandal.
UEFAEFA president Aleksander Ceferin hinted that FC Barcelona is likely to be sanctioned by European football's governing body in an interview with a newspaper in his native Slovenia.
Barca have been charged by the prosecutor's office with "continued corruption" after it was revealed the club had paid a former vice-chair of the arbitration committee.
The Catalan side denies any wrongdoing and insists the payments are off-limits for consulting work carried out by Negreira. However, last month, UEFA announced that it had opened its own investigation into the matter with newspapers such as Goal reporting that a Champions League ban for the 2023-24 season could happen if the Blaugrana are banned. guilty.
Speaking to Epika, in an interview published on Monday, Ceferin said he was unable to comment directly on the matter for two reasons when asked to do so.
"First, because we have an independent disciplinary committee. And second, because I didn't elaborate on this."
“There is one thing I can say,” Ceferin continued. "As far as I know, the situation is extremely serious. So serious in my opinion [that] it's one of the most serious things in football since I got into it.
"At the level of the Spanish league, the case is of course limited and cannot have any competitive consequences as long as a proceeding is pending at the level of the Spanish civil prosecutor's office. The same applies to UEFA, not over-the-counter,” explains Ceferin.
Ceferin's comments were immediately received by the Catalan and Spanish media and, in fact, Barca are hearing from the horse's mouth that the possibility of a fine is possible.
Goal reports there is "growing concern" that UEFA could deal a heavy blow to the club as it continues to support the failed European Super League. Naturally, with the watchdog Champions League (UCL) and significant influence over European domestic leagues, Ceferin is a strong critic of the breakaway competition Barca still supports alongside Real Madrid. and Juventus.
Leading La Liga with 12 points, Barca is on the way to qualify for UCL next season as the Spanish champion. However, given their financial difficulties, being banned by UEFA if found guilty of misconduct will have serious economic consequences due to the possibility of losing TV money, winning bonuses. and tickets to the Camp Nou stadium.
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