Barcelona are set to be investigated by Uefa over payments made to a former vice president of Spain's referees' committee and punishment could lead to a Champions League ban.
Ethics and disciplinary inspectors from the European governing body have been appointed to probe alleged payments made for favourable decisions involving the Catalan club. It is alleged that the La Liga giants paid around £7.4 million (€8.4m) to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his company Dasnil 95.
Barcelona deny any wrongdoing in the case however acknowledged that Dasnil 95 received payments between 2001 and 2018. Payments to the firm came about after an investigation by the tax authorities in Spain. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been urged to step down if he is unable to explain the situation, while former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell have also been indicted. The public prosecutor's office in Barcelona brought the lawsuits against the club. A Uefa statement read: "Ethics and disciplinary inspectors have been appointed to conduct an investigation regarding a potential violation of Uefa's legal framework by FC Barcelona in connection with the so-called 'Caso Negreira'."
The public prosecutors office in Spain also released a statement, saying: "FC Barcelona obtained and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the technical arbitral committee (CTA) and in exchange for money, the latter carries out actions tending to benefit FC Barcelona in decisions by the referees."
READ NEXT
DON'T MISS:Simon Jordan insists Rangers 'got the hump' with Celtic celebrations as he floats theory behind away fan lockout
Celtic will leave Rangers in dust as former Parkhead defender insists Ally McCoist was WRONG to say gap is closing
Gordon Strachan lost Scotland job over Oriam politics and Carver right to call out pimped–up leisure centre – Keith Jackson
READ MORE: Simon Jordan insists Rangers 'got the hump' with Celtic celebrations as he floats theory behind away fan lockout
