UEFA reaches decision on Barcelona's Champions League fate
Barcelona have been confirmed their place in the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming season. As the defending Spanish champions, the Blaugrana will get a top seed in the next season’s tournament.
The European authority has assured the Catalan club that they would not be sanctioned for the “Negreira case,” as the Catalan publication SPORT reported.
The matter became public in February, and it has been suggested that Barcelona were involved in match-fixing. Instead, they always claimed that the funds were used to acquire refereeing technical reports.
The report adds that UEFA believes there is no judgment to indicate that the Catalan club influenced officiating in the Spanish Primera Division. It is one of the reasons why they will not interfere to penalize the club, even if the matter has been taken to court.
Gundogan and Martinez set to feature in UEFA Champions League
Barcelona will breathe a sigh of relief, as they could not afford the reputational or financial toll this potential scandal would have taken. This promising development has brought them closer to securing two major signings for the next campaign.
Ilkay Gundogan, once the captain of Manchester City, has been confirmed to join on a free transfer. The German international has signed a two-year deal with a one-year extension clause provided he appears in at least 60% of matches in his second season.
According to SPORT, another signing, former Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez, whose contract in Bilbao ended on June 30, might be confirmed in the coming days. The team is now negotiating with two of the most highly regarded young players, hoping to make two major acquisitions in 2024.
This good news will mean two new signings for Barca
A deal between Barcelona and Athletico Paranaense for Vitor Roque has been widely reported to be in the works for some time now, with Barca agreeing to pay Athletico Paranaense €35 million ($38.25 million) up front and an additional €10 million ($10.9 million) provided certain criteria are satisfied.
Meanwhile, Xavi’s side will go up against other top European teams to sign the Turkish gem Arda Guler, whose €17.5 million ($19 million) release clause is now reasonable. Spanish journalist Gerard Romero also claims that a deal in principle has been reached for him.
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