Sanctioning FC Barcelona without participating in the Champions League for one season as punishment for the ‘Negreira Case’ could cost UEFA no less than 100 million euros. The European football organization opened a file and is studying the case, with some investigator who already participated in the investigation of the Super League. UEFA emissaries have already visited the club’s offices this week. Barcelona has already announced that it will collaborate in the investigation.
The estimated calculation of a minimum of 100 million euros comes from the amount that Barça receives for participating in the Champions League each season, plus the damages for the amounts of sponsors or ‘merchandising’ that the club would stop entering due to the decision of the UEFA to leave Barcelona without participating in the Champions League. In the 2021-22 season, Barcelona entered about 70 million and this season when the liquidation is made, the income will be similar. For the 2023-24 season, close to 100 million will be budgeted.
If UEFA sanction Barça before the Spanish criminal courts issue two sentences for the ‘Negreira Case’ (in the first and second instance) and decide to exclude Barcelona from the Champions League next season, they run the risk of having to pay Barca large amounts of money. The Barcelona club, if necessary, would go to court and request compensation for ‘consequential damage’ (the damage itself that the entity would receive) and ‘loss of profit’ (the money that would stop coming in).
Although UEFA maintains that every season it ‘invites’ the teams to the Champions League, the Europa League or the Conference, in reality there is an ‘acquired right’ of the clubs, a right that they acquire sportingly in the competitions organized by the different national teams. It is not a gift. But a right that the club owns.
What the UEFA statutes say cannot go against current legislation. UEFA must wait to issue any resolution until the Spanish criminal courts rule on the ‘Negreira Case’. The facts declared by these proven are binding on UEFA and this body cannot contradict those facts. Otherwise, it would mean a violation of current legislation and would trigger Barcelona’s claim for damages. If UEFA excludes Barcelona and then the criminal courts say that there is no evidence (at the moment, nothing at all), the compensation would be in the millions.
There is a precedent for Fenerbahce, sanctioned for two years without competing in Europe and later declared innocent in court. UEFA caught their fingers. If it happens with Barcelona, it could be very expensive.
In fact, yesterday this newspaper reported FIFA’s position on the matter: it would not intervene until there was a final ruling, which was the case in the case of Juventus. Another thing is how UEFA acts.
