Barcelona Could Face Champions League Expulsion As Negreira Case Takes a New Turn

• FC Barcelona risks getting kicked out of the UEFA Champions League
• The Catalans were hit with a bribery charge amid their Negreira case
• Barca kicked off their UCL campaign with a 5-0 win vs. Royal Antwerp

Barcelona has reportedly been charged with bribery over payments made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Spanish Technical Committee of Referees.

The Catalans have been under investigation for months after it was claimed that they had made illegal payments to Negreira over a period of 17 years between 2001 and 2018.

According to the Athletic, Barcelona have been hit with further charges including corruption after the La Liga champions paid €7.5 million to companies owned by Negreira.

Barcelona president, Joan Laporta has denied any wrongdoing in the case as he claims that the payments were honestly for consultation work and not bribery as widely suggested.

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A jury of nine members of the public will now decide if the reigning La Liga champions were guilty of any wrong-doing, with the date for the ruling currently undisclosed, per Forbes.

Barcelona risks Champions League expulsion

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s bid to win a sixth UEFA Champions League title faces a major threat after the Catalan club were hit with a bribery allegation for their involvement in the Negreira scandal.

If found guilty, the Catalans could be expelled from the competition for one year as the European governing body looks closer at the case involving the Spanish giants, per Sportskeeda.

Barcelona were provisionally allowed to compete in the UCL, having won last season's La Liga title, but UEFA said in July the Catalans could be suspended from its competitions if they were found guilty.

Barcelona receive update on Negreira case

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Barcelona possibly being vindicated with reports from the Spanish media claiming the Prosecutor’s Office has found no evidence of paying referees.

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Instead, the main suspicion appears to revolve around money laundering, which former club presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu could allegedly be involved in.

Furthermore, Barcelona were also informed UEFA had finished its investigation into the scandal and came to a conclusion, allowing them to participate in the Champions League.