Uefa launch probe into Barcelona referee bribe claims

Uefa have announced that it will be launching an investigation into claims Barcelona bribed referees into making favourable decisions.

A Barcelona court agreed to take on the case last week over alleged payments of €7.3 million ($7.95 million) from 2001 to 2018 made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his Dasnil 95 company.

Negreira was vice-president of the Spanish Football Association's refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018.

Prosecutors in Spain have formally accused Barcelona of corruption, fraudulent management and falsification of business documents. An investigating judge will decide if this will lead to charges.

Charges were filed earlier this month against the club, Negreira and two former Barcelona presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, among others.

Now football's European governing body has announced it will also be investigating the claims.

A statement on Thursday read: “In accordance with article 31(4) of the UEFA disciplinary regulations, Uefa ethics and disciplinary inspectors have today been appointed to conduct an investigation regarding a potential violation of Uefa's legal framework by FC Barcelona in connection with the so-called 'Caso Negreira'.”

Champions League regulations in effect since April 2007 allow for clubs to be removed from European competitions if they were involved in fixing matches. Further disciplinary sanctions can follow.

No evidence has yet been published that referees or individual games were actually influenced.

Barca have previously denied wrongdoing. A statement said they had paid an external consultant for “technical reports related to professional refereeing”, arguing it was common practice in the game.

Current president Joan Laporta said: “Barca have never