Why UEFA are unable to act against Barcelona in Negreira case amid Real Madrid insistence | OneFootball

Florentino Perez took a massive step towards ensuring justice in the Barcelona-Negreira scandal when he met the president of UEFA and personally handed over evidence on the matter.

Earlier today, the club even confirmed that they sent UEFA a formal letter, urging them to take strict and immediate action against the Blaugrana and to attend to the matter with a sense of urgency.

Los Blancos based their argument and plea on the fact that UEFA see corruption to be a crime of the highest level. 

While even matters like doping are hit with a ten-year limitation period, bribery and corruption are exempt from any limitation rules as per UEFA’s regulations meaning that sanctions can be imposed for any indefinite period after the crime.

Why UEFA are paralysed

Perez and Real Madrid are pushing for punishment against Barcelona. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s plea for UEFA to act immediately is indeed a major factor in driving the matter forward. However, the fact of the matter is that UEFA themselves appear stuck in a never-ending wait as reported by Mundo Deportivo.

The European body is awaiting the verdict of the criminal proceedings against Barcelona in Spain as they see the national federation’s decision to be crucial. 

Only after the RFEF reach a verdict will they make a move of their own, regardless of the amount of evidence submitted, and that is where they find themselves paralysed by a paradoxical situation.

An unfortunate situation

Not giving up. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

A decision from the RFEF acknowledging the crime and imposing sanctions on Barcelona, needless to say, will go a long way in seeing prompt action taken against the club by UEFA as well. The issue, however, is that the limitations statute is very different for the RFEF.

Unlike UEFA who exempt corruption from any limitation period, the RFEF have a three-year limitation on any serious crime irrespective of its nature. That implies that sanctions cannot be imposed on a crime committed more than three years ago.

Given that the last of the alleged bribery payments was made by Barcelona in 2018 and that the case came to light only in 2023, the three-year period had already expired by that point in time. Imposing sanctions on Barcelona, thus, became impossible for the RFEF.

UEFA’s rules on corruption make it possible for them to act on Barcelona even now, and they can even ban the club from European events. However, their decision to wait for a national-level verdict first makes it unclear if justice will ever arrive.