Barcelona could be BANNED from the Champions League even if they win La Liga

BARCELONA could face a Champions League ban – but only if they are found guilty of the ref-fixing charges against them.

Spanish prosecutors have opened a legal case against the Catalan side, who are accused of paying the country’s referees’ chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira more than £6million over a 17-YEAR period.

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Spanish giants Barcelona are sweating on the legal case[/caption]

Reuters

Xavi has led Barcelona to a 12-point lead in LaLiga[/caption]

Barca are said to have made the payments between 2001 and 2018, including the four-year spell they were coached by Pep Guardiola – although there are no suggestions the Manchester City boss was aware of the agreement.

The club and former Presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, as well as Negreira, have all been hit with official corruption charges.

Rival clubs, including Real Madrid, have demanded massive sanctions against the Nou Camp outfit.

And while Spanish FA rules, which have a three-year statute of limitations on “serious” offences, mean that La Liga and the national association cannot impose a punishment, Uefa regulations open the door to a ban from European competition if the charges are proved.

Sun Sport understands that Euro chiefs – who may see the situation as a wedge to drive between Barca and Real over their Super League involvement – will not consider any action until the end of the legal proceedings in Spain.

That is despite Uefa’s legal department asking the Spanish FA for a full report on what the investigation has uncovered.

Uefa regulations say clubs must “refrain from any conduct that damages or is likely to damage the integrity of matches and competitions”.

That includes anybody using a “third party” to act “in a manner that is likely to exert an illegal or undue influence on the course and/or outcome of a match or competition”.

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Any club breaching that rule is liable to a one season ban from playing in European competition.

Real have already joined a private prosecution, adding to the pressure on Barca, which has also been told it has a budget of MINUS £200m this summer.