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Spanish judge accuses Barcelona of bribery, risk getting kicked out of the UEFA Champions League
According to the Spanish publication El Debate, Barcelona has been prosecuted by Judge Joaquin Aguirre regarding payments made to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, over a 17-year span from 2001 to 2018.
Because of the bribery allegations that a Spanish judge has leveled against the club, the possibility of Barcelona Football Club winning any trophies this season may seem like a distant dream.
During this time, which includes Joan Laporta’s first term as president, the Catalonia club is said to have paid €7.5 million (€7.9 million) to businesses owned by Negreira. Both Barcelona and Laporta have rejected accusations of impropriety in the case.
The offices of Spain’s referees committee were searched by the Spanish police, according to Sky Sports News, in order to acquire information for the investigation.
The matter is being looked into by UEFA as well; if found guilty, they risk being eliminated from the competition for the current season (2023–24).