News broke this week that Barcelona have been charged with bribery for payments made to the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
This case has rumbled on throughout the year but the latest according to El Debate, could eventually result in Barca being banned from the Champions League, if UEFA sees fit.
The Catalan club are believed to have paid €7.5 million ($7.9 million) to companies owned by Negreira from 2001 to 2018 and if found guilty, this would be a huge story across the whole of Spanish football.
Pundit Stan Collymore believes Barcelona should be given the chance to prove their innocence but if found to be guilty, the club should be severely punished along with all of Spain’s national teams.
“If this turns out to be true, and it is a big if, because let’s not forget, while there is never any smoke without fire, there is also innocent until proven guilty, so if these shocking allegations turn out to be true, I hope the book gets thrown at them; not just Barcelona either, but the whole of Spanish football,” Collymore said in an exclusive interview with CaughtOffside.
“Barcelona should obviously receive the strictest punishments, but Spain’s male and female national teams should also be thrown out of all international tournaments for at least five years.
“The same applies to any footballing nation that thinks they can use their financial power to undermine the sport’s integrity.”