Barcelona Set to Avoid European Ban After Latest Evidence on Negreira Scandal

• Barcelona will escape a UEFA ban after Spanish police cleared the club of trying to bribe referees
• The Catalans have been under investigation by officials for their alleged role in the Negreira case
• Barcelona reportedly paid former referee chief Enriquez Negreira €7.3m over a period of 17 years

Barcelona are set to no longer forfeit their Champions League slot for next season, after Spanish police reportedly cleared the Catalan club over allegations of trying to influence referees.

The recently crowned La Liga champions have been under investigation by anti-corruption authorities for months over alleged payments made to former Spanish refereeing chief, Enriquez Negreira.

The Catalans are said to have paid €7.3 million to Negreira over the course of 17 years, from 2001 to 2018.

According to Football Espana, the latest update from the police would liberate Barcelona from sporting sanctions, such as a potential ban from European competitions by UEFA.

How much Barcelona will get for winning the 2022/23 La Liga season

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The European body had threatened to ban the Catalans from all its competitions starting next season if the club was found guilty by Spanish authorities of trying to influence referees.

Barcelona have failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages for two consecutive seasons and will aim to win the competition next season when they return as La Liga winners.

La Liga approves Barcelona's signings

Meanwhile, La Liga have officially approved Barcelona's economic viability plan, which allows the Catalan club to sign new players this summer, Barca Universal reports.

The La Liga champions can now complete the pending contracts of players such as Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Marcos Alonso, and Inaki Pena after the league body's approval.

Barcelona have also reportedly been given the backing from the Spanish league body to proceed with their bid to sign six-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi.

UEFA watching Barcelona bribery case

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported that UEFA are paying keen attention to the controversies surrounding the Catalans after Barcelona were linked to allegations of bribery and corruption.

The La Liga champions are under investigation after they were accused of making payments to former vice-chairman of Spain's refereeing committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

UEFA is said to want the investigation process to be quick so a final decision can be made in June regarding Barca's future and their status for the European competitions of next season.