UEFA 'want to decide Barcelona and Juventus fate by the end of spring'

UEFA ‘are doing everything possible for a quick resolution to Barcelona and Juventus investigations’, with governing body keen to avoid doubts over possible Champions League participation next season

• Both Barcelona and Juventus are the subject of UEFA disciplinary investigations
• The European giants could be barred from UEFA competitions if found guilty
• UEFA is reportedly keen to resolve both clubs cases prior to the summer 

UEFA are reportedly determined to reach a swift decision on Barcelona and Juventus’ involvement in European competitions next season, with the two European giants subject to disciplinary investigations.

Barcelona have been charged with corruption by prosecutors over alleged payments made by the club to the then vice-president of the Spanish referees’ committee.

The club has been accused of maintaining a relationship with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira in which ‘in exchange for money’ he carried out actions that would ‘lead to Barcelona being favoured in the decision making of the referees’.

The prosecution says €7.3million (£6.46m) was paid by the club to DASNIL and NILSAT, two companies owned by Negreira.

This led to UEFA request its own investigation into the case last month.

UEFA announced last month that Barcelona were subject to a disciplinary investigation

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that the club has not committed an offence

An independent disciplinary committee would have the power to prevent the Catalan side from entering European competitions next season should they be found guilty of an offence.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta met with UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin last week to discuss matters, including the case and the European Super League.

Ceferin previously described the case as ‘one of the most serious in football’. Despite their meeting, Barcelona’s fate rests with the independent disciplinary committee.

A report from the Barcelona-based Sport newspaper claimed after the meeting that UEFA would wait until next season to decided any potential punishment.

This would allow the club’s impending LaLiga title success to be celebrated, safe in the knowledge that Barcelona’s place in next season’s Champions League will be assured.

Spanish newspaper Marca, however, has reported that UEFA are keen to resolve both Barcelona and Juventus’ cases ‘in a hurry’.

European football’s governing body are claimed to be ‘doing everything possible’ to ensure decisions are reached on both cases by the end of spring.

UEFA hope to achieve clarity over each teams places in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League next season, ensuring the competitions are not impacted by any potential sanctions.

UEFA, led by Aleksander Ceferin, reportedly want to resolve both cases ahead of the summer

UEFA want a swift decision to avoid next season’s Champions League from being impacted

Previous reports from Spain suggested a decision could be reached by the disciplinary committee by June, allowing for potential appeals to the UEFA’s Appeals Body and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in the event the clubs face sanctions.

Barcelona have qualified directly for the group stage of next year’s Champions League, with the Catalan club 11-points clear at the top of LaLiga.

Laporta has tried to make clear through a series of interventions over the past month or so, stretching back to early March, that Barcelona did not pay referees to favour them.

‘They have nothing because there is nothing,’ he said. ‘What they have done is magnify a situation in which one of the people who was linked to these companies was a former referee and a former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees.

‘He had no capacity to alter the results of any match because he did not designate the referees.’

Last week, he launched into an astonishing tirade in which he made the highly charged link between Real Madrid and the regime of General Franco, which ruled Spain between 1938 and 1973.

Separately, Juventus are facing a UEFA investigation over their alleged falsification of capital gains from transfer dealings.

The Italian giants were docked 15 points in January after being found guilty of false accounting, but this was reversed on appeal last week.

UEFA are conducting an investigation into Juventus’ ongoing capital gains case in Italy

Juventus are on course to qualify for the Champions League through their Serie A finish

That reversal elevated Juventus from seventh to third in the Serie A table, putting them on course for Champions League qualification.

A punishment is still possible at a later date with Italy’s highest sporting court re-examining the case.

Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that UEFA has been conducting its own investigation into Juventus’ financial practices.

The governing body has have received documents from the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office and are examining the evidence.

UEFA are reportedly prepared to intervene if a legal decision isn’t made in Italy by the end of June, enabling them to finalise entries into next year’s European competitions.

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