UEFA ‘seek a resolution to Barcelona and Juventus investigations by the end of spring’

UEFA is reportedly determined to make a swift decision on Barcelona and Juventus’ involvement in European competitions next season, subjecting the two European giants to disciplinary investigations.

Barcelona have been charged with corruption by prosecutors over alleged payments made by the club to the then vice president of Spain’s refereeing commission.

The club is accused of maintaining a relationship with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira in which he carried out actions “in exchange for money” that “would lead to Barcelona being favored in the decisions of the referees”.

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

This led to UEFA requesting its own investigation into the matter last month.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted the club has not committed any offence

An independent disciplinary committee would have the power to bar the Catalan side from participating in European competitions next season if found guilty of an offence.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta met with UEFA colleague 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 decide a possible penalty.

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

Spanish newspaper Markahowever, has reported that UEFA wants to resolve the cases of both Barcelona and Juventus “as a matter of urgency”.

European football’s governing body would do “everything possible” to ensure that decisions on both matters are made by the end of spring.

UEFA hopes to clarify each team’s places in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League next season, so that the competitions are not affected by possible sanctions.

UEFA, led by Aleksander Ceferin, reportedly wants to resolve both cases before the summer

UEFA wants a quick decision to avoid affecting next season’s Champions League

Previous reports from Spain suggested that the disciplinary committee could make a decision by June, potentially allowing an appeal to UEFA’s Appellate Body and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, should the clubs face sanctions.

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

Laporta has tried to make it clear through a series of interventions over the past month or so, dating back to early March, that Barcelona were not paying referees to favor them.

“They have nothing because there is nothing,” he said. “What they have done is magnified a situation where one of the people linked to these companies was a former referee and former vice president of the Referees’ Technical Committee.

“He didn’t have the capacity to change the results of a game because he didn’t appoint the referees.”

Last week, he unleashed an astonishing diatribe in which he made the highly charged link between Real Madrid and General Franco’s regime, which ruled Spain between 1938 and 1973.

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

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

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

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

That turnaround saw Juventus rise from seventh to third in Serie A, putting them on course to qualify for the Champions League.

A penalty is still possible at a later date when Italy’s highest sports court re-examines the case.

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

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

UEFA is reportedly ready to intervene if no legal decision is reached in Italy by the end of June, allowing them to finalize registrations for next year’s European competitions.