UEFA to investigate Barcelona's potential violation of legal framework

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - UEFA on Thursday announced that it decided to investigate Barcelona's potential violation of its legal framework.

Under Article 31 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, ethics and disciplinary inspectors have been appointed to conduct an investigation regarding the so-called "Caso Negreira," the statement added.

UEFA said that further information on the matter will be made available in due course.

The Spanish club reportedly made payments between 2016 and 2018 to a company owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was then the vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

It is claimed that the club received information about the referees in exchange for €7.3 million (over $7.8 million) in 2001-2018 and that it could be banned from the Champions League for the next season due to possible charges.