Barcelona could be in hot water on multiple fronts after it was announced on Thursday that they are being charged with bribery over the infamous Negreira case, which first broke back in February.
If they are found guilty, Barcelona could receive criminal and sporting punishments, with the latter being the biggest concern for head coach Xavi Hernandez, the club’s players and its supporters.
Suspensions from competitions is a possibility, with one of those being the Champions League. UEFA decided against banning Barcelona from this season’s tournament, although they would almost certainty be banned from the 2024-25 instalment if found guilty.
UEFA initially opened an investigation into Barcelona’s involvement in El Caso Negreira towards the end of last season, when the club was being looked at for alleged sporting corruption, and Marca have reported that UEFA’s investigation is still ongoing, and has not been closed despite the previous lack of movement in the case.
UEFA will be keeping a watchful eye on matters going forward, as will La Liga. If Barcelona do end up being banned from both competitions, it would be a gigantic blow for the club, especially in terms of finances.
