Barcelona, Real Madrid Face Champions League Expulsion as Luis Rubiales Crisis Deepens

• Barcelona and Real Madrid could be banned from UEFA Champions League football next season
• The Spanish football federation is currently under scrutiny from FIFA due to third-party interference
• The government has taken over the federation's affairs after Luis Rubiales was ousted from office

Barcelona, Real Madrid, and any Spanish clubs with European ambitions are currently on a tightrope as the national federation continues to disagree with the government.

The government's apparent attempts to interfere with how matters at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) are run could see FIFA and UEFA step in with sanctions.

RFEF has yet to elect a new president following the infamous exit of Luis Rubiales. Last year, he was at the centre of the kissing scandal with Jenni Hermoso. He was also arrested last month for corruption-related charges during his tenure as Spain's top football chief.

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Through Supreme Sports Council president, José Manuel Rodríguez-Uribes, the government has now stepped in as the football body continues to face corruption allegations.

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AS reports that Rodríguez-Uribes sent a letter to UEFA and FIFA explaining why the government should intervene. The decision is likely to rub the governing bodies the wrong way, given that FIFA's clauses strongly prohibit government interference.

FIFA's legal handbook on third-party interference states that:

"Each member shall manage its affairs independently and with no influence from third parties."

A letter written to Rodriguez-Uribes by UEFA and FIFA's general secretaries, Mattias Grafström and Theodore Theodoridis, stated that they would not accept any form of political interference.

Relevo reports that the government appointed World Cup-winning coach, Vicente Del Bosque, to a special committee that will run the federation's affairs until the elections are held.

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UEFA and FIFA are supposed to get a response from the Spanish government about the exact mandate of the Del Bosque-led committee before deciding on a way forward.

Has any country been banned by FIFA due to government interference?

FIFA has acted strongly against third-party interference in the past. In 2022, Zimbabwe and Kenya were both banned after their respective governments took over the activities of the national federations.

"We had to suspend two of our member associations, Kenya and Zimbabwe, both for government interference in the activities of the football associations of these countries. Associations are suspended from all football activities with immediate effect. They know what needs to be done for them to be readmitted or for the suspension to be lifted," FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said at the time, as captured by Voice of America.

What happens when a country gets banned by FIFA?

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For starters, FIFA stopped remitting funds for development to a suspended member association. The clubs from that country are also expelled from continental competitions like the Champions League, while the national team is barred from participating in any international competitions.

Both Kenya and Zimbabwe did not participate in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, while record Kenyan champions, Gor Mahia, did not participate in the CAF Champions League.

If Spain were to be banned, it would mean they would have to forego their place at the upcoming Euro Championships and Olympic games. Players would also be barred from signing with clubs from other countries.

Referees are also not spared in the purge, as they cannot officiate in any international competition. The restrictions are lifted as soon as FIFA readmits the suspended country.

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Even as this happens, Real Madrid took another step towards qualifying for another UEFA Champions League final on April 30.

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Sports Brief reported that Vinicius Junior scored twice against Bayern Munich in the semi-final first leg at the Allianz Arena.

The Brazilian scored his first after a delicious through ball by Toni Kroos before scoring a penalty seven minutes from time.