Barcelona has been provisionally cleared to participate in the highly anticipated 2023-24 Champions League. This comes in the wake of a UEFA investigation triggered by allegations that the club made payments to a referees’ chief to secure favorable decisions on the field. The investigation, initiated by European football’s governing body, was launched after claims surfaced regarding payments made by Barcelona to influence refereeing decisions in their favor. The club, however, vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

Despite being allowed to compete in Europe, UEFA has asserted its right to potentially penalize the club in the future, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. The probe was set in motion after the Barcelona public prosecutor’s office initiated a criminal investigation into the matter on March 10. The allegations revolve around purported payments amounting to 8.4 million euros that were allegedly made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee, and his company, Dasnil 95. Barcelona, several former club officials, and Negreira were indicted on charges of “corruption,” “breach of trust,” and “false business records.” UEFA has stated, “The investigators in charge of the case are invited to continue and finalize their investigation and to send a further report to the appeals body if and when they consider that the admission/exclusion of FC Barcelona [in the Champions League] should be assessed.” The investigation gained traction following the revelation made by radio station Ser Catalunya in February. The payments in question came to light during a separate investigation conducted by tax authorities into Dasnil 95, Negreira’s company. Reportedly, Barcelona had made payments totaling around 1.4 million euros (£1.2 million) to Dasnil 95 between 2016 and 2018. Additionally, Negreira, 77, received approximately 7 million euros (£6.2 million) from the club between 2001 and 2018 when he was still associated with the referees’ committee. Barcelona has acknowledged making payments to Dasnil 95, describing the company as an “external technical consultant” responsible for producing video reports related to professional referees. These reports were intended to complement the information required by the coaching staff, and the club asserted that such practices were common among professional clubs. The situation escalated when 18 out of the 20 La Liga clubs expressed “deep concern” over the matter through a joint statement. In response, Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced the club’s decision to conduct an internal investigation into the alleged payments. As the investigation unfolds, the football world eagerly awaits further updates and the final decision by UEFA regarding Barcelona’s participation in the upcoming Champions League.