Barcelona could be relegated confirms La Liga president Javier Tebas

Stuart Telford

• 16 Mar 2023 22:42 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona are in financial and legal trouble, and La Liga president Javier Tebas has confirmed that the league leaders could be demoted to the Segunda Division if allegations of bribing referees stick.

Barca are top of the table, nine points clear of defending champions Madrid after 25 games played. But while they have been impressing on the pitch, the picture off is significantly bleaker.

The Blaugrana have already been told to reduce their debt by €200 million if they want to compete in La Liga next season, and now they have been caught up in a refereeing controversy, with a Spanish court set to begin investigations into corruption.

READ: Barcelona's banter era: 2017 until… today?

Barca stand accused of paying the former vice president of the refereeing committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira €7 million between 2001 and 2018 - during which time they won nine La Liga titles.

Although he believes in Barca's innocence, Tebas, a Real Madrid fan, says they will have the book thrown at them if found guilty.

'Relegation and multi-million fines'

"I don't believe that Barca bought referees, but there has been a situation that requires a clear explanation," he told La Vanguardia as part of their 'defence of the European football ecosystem' panel.

"The sanction for buying referees? Very serious. Relegation to the second division, multi-million fines. The reputational damage done to Barcelona and La Liga is very important."

READ: Laporta fiercely defends Barcelona against 'SCOUNDRELS' in referee scandal

Barca are one of three founding members of La Liga who have never been relegated, alongside Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao since its inception in 1929.

They spend more than €150 million on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde last summer, but suffered a group stage exit from the Champions League before being knocked out of the Europa League knock-out round play-offs by Manchester United.

The club were €1.35 billion in debt when they lost long-time talisman Lionel Messi on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, and their president Joan Laporta has worked hard to activate 'financial levers' to keep them afloat since.