The club are facing serious charges of corruption due to their payments to a former La Liga official.
Prosecutors have charged Barcelona with “continued corruption in business” over their payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Negreira was the vice president of the Spanish football’s referring committee between 1994 and 2018. The Catalans have made payments to DASNIL 95, a company owned by Enriquez Negreira, between 2001 and 2018.
Investigations began in May 2022 and have escalated dramatically in recent weeks. On Friday, Barcelona as a legal entity was officially charged with continued corruption in business.
A specific section of the Spanish law on such cases relates to corruption in sports. The term “continued” could see Barca face serious consequences as it shows the Catalans had consistent communication with Negreira.
If the court finds Barcelona guilty, Barcelona could face two general punishments: 1- 4 years in prison for individuals. 2- Professional disqualifications and fines for groups or enterprises.
Most Spanish sources have claimed the Catalans could avoid points deduction and relegation in recent weeks.
Speaking in February, La Liga chief Javier Tebas said: “It’s not possible for there to be any sportive punishment from our side.
“It’s been five years since those payments stopped and these kinds of breaches are time-barred in our rulebook three years after taking place.”
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