UEFA is looking into payments allegedly made by Barcelona in return for favourable referring decisions. The European football governing body has appointed ethics and disciplinary inspectors to investigate the matter.  A court heard Barcelona have been indicted for "corruption", "breach of trust" and "false business records". Prosecutors allege that the Catalan giants paid 8.4m euros (£7.4m) to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his Dasnil 95 company. However, Barcelona denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged that the payments were made to Dasnil 95 between 2001 and 2018. 

UEFA said: "Ethics and disciplinary inspectors have 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'". The payments came to light following an investigation by tax authorities into Dasnil 95 and were revealed by radio station Ser Catalunya. 

"FC Barcelona obtained and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the technical arbitral committee (CTA) and in exchange for money, the latter carries out actions tending to benefit FC Barcelona in decisions by the referees," said the public prosecutor's office. Barcelona, however, described the company as “an external technical consultant which was paid to compile video reports related to professional referees “with the aim of complementing the information required by the coaching staff.” 

Alongside the club, former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell have also been indicated. The lawsuits were brought by the Barcelona public prosecutor's office. Javier Tebas, the La Liga chief executive has said that the current Barcelona president Joan Laporta should resign if he is unable to explain with clarity the reason the club made the payments to the company of the former vice-president of Spain's refereeing body. The Catalan giants' arch-rivals Real Madrid said that "in defense of its legitimate rights, it will appear at the trial when the judge opens it up to the affected parties". 

(Image: Bavarian Football Works)