Ceferin on Negreira case: “One of the most serious cases I’ve seen in football”

Speaking to the Slovenian newspaper Ekipa, Alexander Ceferin referred to the Negreira case that Barcelona are in trouble over.

The Slovenian UEFA president and criminologist said, among other things, that it was one of the worst he had seen in football. The European Football Association has opened a file on this particular case and is conducting its own investigation.

In detail what Alexander Ceferin said: “I have been informed and the case is very serious. It’s so serious, in my opinion, that it’s one of the most serious in football I’ve seen.

I cannot comment immediately for two reasons. First, because we have an independent disciplinary committee that has taken on the case. Secondly, because I have not dealt with this topic in detail.

At the level of the Spanish league, the matter is of course decreed and cannot have any consequences under competition law, but the process is ongoing at the level of the Spanish public prosecutor’s office. But from UEFA’s point of view, there is nothing to decree.”.

If it turns out Barcelona were involved “Any activity aimed at determining or influencing the outcome at the national or international level”UEFA will ban them from European competitions, according to an earlier report in Spain

It is recalled that Spanish former referee and member of the Spanish Referees Committee Negreira allegedly received almost 7,000,000 euros from 2001 to July 2018 to take on an advisory role in Barcelona on refereeing matters, as claimed by the club and the referee.