UEFA sent a communication to the different European federations on Tuesday in which it details the dates that the clubs must adhere to in order to participate in next season’s competitions: Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and Youth League. May 19 is the deadline to pre-register the teams of each association; on June 12, the final one to know those who will participate. After that, there is no going back.
This UEFA announcement is important because Barcelona is becoming aware of its time margins regarding a possible sanction. The FEF is in charge of pre-registering the Spanish teams through an official admission criteria form completed in its entirety for each club. Also, of course, for Barça. In said document, it is mandatory for the FEF to point out aspects that may go against articles 3 and 4 of the tournament regulations.
Specifically, points 4.G and 4.H can pose a problem to pass the UEFA admission filter. “Not having been directly and/or indirectly involved, since the entry into force of Article 50(3) of the UEFA Statutes, that is, on April 27, 2007in any activity aimed at organizing or influencing the outcome of a match at a national or international level and confirm this to the UEFA administration in writing”, says the first.
The second is even more compromising for Barça: “Inform UEFA of any and all proceedings before disciplinary bodies or state courts involving the club or its officials in any activity aimed at organizing or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level, whether the club or its officials have been acquitted or not.” With the ongoing investigation initiated by the UEFA Disciplinary Committee, the alarms will go off as soon as the documentation arrives. The ineligibility would be for one season only.
The process goes fast
While that is happening, the case is speeding through the offices to allow Barça to go to the TAS if the decision were unfavorable and still have time to settle it there before the next Champions League. As AS learned, and although the process usually goes through the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee first, UEFA could skip it and go directly to the UEFA Court of Appeal to sanction Barça.
“Beyond the fact that we have some discrepancies, Mr. Ceferin is also acting prudently and responsibly. At the moment, he has not made the same mistake as Tebas”, said Laporta in his press appearance to clarify the ‘Negreira Case’. He also confirmed that they are speaking with the highest European body to try to clarify the investigation. A pacifying message when the matter of a possible sanction gets hotter. In two months everything will be elucidated.
Assembly of LaLiga
The president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has been explained this morning by the Negreira Case in front of the president of LaLiga and the clubs in the competition, who have not accepted his argument. Tebas, at the press conference, said that Laporta “has not clarified anything” and described as “‘incomprehensible'” the payment to the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) José María Enríquez Negreira, after the Extraordinary General Assembly of LaLiga in Madrid.