UEFA Considering Leaving Barcelona Out of Champions League Next Season After Referee Scandal

• Barcelona could be left out of Champions League by UEFA due to reputational damage to the competition
• Spanish prosecutors recently filed a lawsuit against Barcelona for corruption charges over payment made to referees
• Barcelona were charged with paying an estimated £7.4m to former Spanish referee vice president between 2001 and 2018

Barcelona stand a risk of getting thrown out of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League following the latest refereeing scandal rocking the Catalan giants.

Barcelona are set to face a public prosecutors investigation over the ongoing El Caso Negreira/Negreira Case after they were charged to court on Friday, March 10.

According to Marca, the filing of the lawsuit by the Public Prosecutor's Office alongside the charges brought against Barcelona are set to seriously jeopardize the club's chances of featuring in European competition next season.

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The presence of the Catalan team in the European competitions for the upcoming season may lead UEFA to believe that it would harm the Champions League's credibility.

Not participating in the Champions League next season will be a major blow to Barcelona as playing in the European competition will help ease the financial stress on the Catalan giants.

Barcelona handed boost for transfer target

Meanwhile, Barcelona are set for a massive boost in their pursuit of another top target in the form of Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez, Barca Universal reports.

The Catalans are facing immense pressure to reduce their salary mass in order to avoid Financial Fair Play regulations in the coming season but that has not deterred them for pushing to sign their main target.

The veteran defender's contract with Athletic Club expires at the end of the current campaign, and the club is increasingly losing hope of keeping him as their efforts to renew his contract are on the verge of failing.

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Prosecutors to pursue legal action against Barcelona

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Barcelona is expected to be the subject of a public prosecutors investigation into the ongoing El Caso Negreira/Negreira Case following allegations of corruption against the team.

It is alleged that the Catalan giants paid former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, nearly £7.4million from 2001-2018.

Prosecutors have now officially denounced Barcelona and will pursue legal action against the club in light of the payments after protests from 18 of the 20 La Liga clubs.