Barcelona is under investigation by UEFA over its payments to a company linked to a Spanish refereeing official. The club allegedly paid €7.3 million ($7.7 million) to the company of José María Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018.
Prosecutors in Spain have accused Barcelona of corruption in sports, fraudulent management, and falsification of business documents. To date, there is no published evidence indicating that referees or individual games were actually influenced.
Barcelona Denies Any Wrongdoing
Barcelona has maintained a consistent stance of refuting any allegations of impropriety or conflicting interests. The club released a statement saying, “FC Barcelona expresses its strongest opposition to the accusations of corruption and willful conduct made against it, and reiterates its respect for the judicial decisions that are taken in the framework of the rule of law.”
Potential Consequences for Barcelona
If any proof of manipulated games in the past 16 years is found, UEFA could exclude Barcelona from its competitions for one year and prosecute a disciplinary case.
Previous cases of suspected match-fixing have resulted in clubs being banned from UEFA competitions, including Fenerbahce, Metalist Kharkiv, and Skenderbeu.
UEFA’s Investigation
UEFA’s investigation into Barcelona’s payments to Negreira’s company is part of a broader probe into alleged corruption in Spanish football. The investigation was launched in 2018 after a complaint from La Liga President Javier Tebas.
The complaint alleged that Negreira had improperly influenced refereeing appointments in Spain, including games involving Barcelona’s biggest rival, Real Madrid. Negreira has denied any wrongdoing.
The investigation has already led to the arrest of several high-profile figures in Spanish football, including former Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and current Villarreal President Fernando Roig.
UEFA has not yet announced a timeline for its investigation into Barcelona. The club’s participation in the Champions League and Europa League could be at risk if it is found to have broken UEFA’s rules on match-fixing or corruption.
Barcelona’s Recent Struggles
Barcelona has been struggling on and off the pitch in recent years. The club has been plagued by financial difficulties, with debts of over €1 billion ($1.1 billion) and a wage bill that is unsustainable. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the club’s financial problems, as ticket sales and merchandise revenues have plummeted.
On the pitch, Barcelona has been in decline since its heyday under former manager Pep Guardiola. The club has failed to win the Champions League since 2015 and has not won La Liga since 2019. Barcelona’s star player, Lionel Messi, left the club in the summer of 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona’s investigation by UEFA is just the latest in a series of scandals to hit Spanish football in recent years. The investigation underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability in the sport. If Barcelona is found to have broken UEFA’s rules, the consequences could be severe, with the club potentially facing exclusion from European competitions. The investigation will continue, and Barcelona will have to wait and see what the outcome will be.
