Barcelona could be thrown out of next season’s Champions League and back into the financial mire if a bribery case against them is brought to trial.

But the Catalan club are confident the developments seen this week in Spain with Spanish Football Federation headquarters being searched, only show the case against them is crumbling.

The judge investigating payments made by the club to the vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee decreed on Thursday that current President Joan Laporta and two other former presidents could stand trial for bribery.  

Barcelona were originally being investigated for the crime of corruption. But according to the judge, Joaquin Aguirre, the charge can be changed to bribery because Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the vice-president of the Spanish Football Federation’s refereeing committee who was paid by Barcelona, can be considered in law to have been a civil servant.

Barcelona are now being investigated on charges of bribery rather than corruption as in March

Blaugana president Joan Laporta could stand trial along with two former Barca presidents

This is considered significant firstly because the sentences for buying favours from government officials range from three to six years as opposed to the six months to four years for the original charge of corruption.

And secondly because under bribery of civil servant-laws in Spain, if the case goes to trial, it will not be necessary to prove that influence was indeed rendered. It would only be necessary to prove that there was intent on the part of Barcelona to purchase that influence.

It was the reclassification of the charge that enabled the Judge to be able to order the headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation to be searched on Thursday. The Judge still has to conclude his investigation and it must be decided if the case goes to court or not. The consequences of a trial would be catastrophic for Barcelona.

Any court case would seriously jeopardise both the club’s participation in the Champions League next season and could also affect the various loans they have out on the £1.2bn (€1.5bn) rebuilding of their Camp Nou stadium.

Football’s European governing body UEFA decided to allow Barca to participate in this season’s competition despite the fact that there was a corruption investigation underway. But with the case going to trial UEFA’s ethics commission would likely demand the team were not allowed to compete next season.

Being thrown out of Europe next season would have massive consequences on Barcelona’s finances and, according to Spanish website El Confidential, some of the club’s financial backers have clauses in their financing agreements with the club that allow them to withdraw from their funding of the Camp Nou rebuild if Barcelona are prosecuted.

Barcalona have been allowed to compete in this year’s Champions League draw but should a trial go ahead, UEFA’s ethic committee may bar the five-time winners

Camp Nou is virtually unrecogniseable as it undergoes wholesale renovations – and loans for its construction could possible be recalled

But Barcelona believe the latest developments show that the case against them is weak. Any conviction for corruption would need proof of referees being paid off to influence games in Barcelona’s favour and so far investigators have found nothing – that appears to remain true after Thursday’s 12-hour search of the Federation’s headquarters.

Barcelona believe that is why the investigating judge has changed tack from pursuing the club for corruption to pursuing it for bribery. Lawyers advising the club believe the attempt at classifying Negreira as a civil servant does not stand up as it leans heavily on European law and not Spanish law.

Barcelona have never disputed the payment of around £6.3million (€7.3m) to Negreira and his son from 2001 to 2018, claiming money passed between the two for reports on referees in Spain. The money was always declared to the Spanish tax authorities.

Negreira was vice-president of the refereeing committee at the time with influence over which referees were promoted to officiate top games and which were demoted. And the feeling of the judge is that it is ‘logical’ to understand that Barcelona were trying to buy influence with such payments.

Barcelona deny this and the absence of proof to back up the charge has, according to many, led the judge to switch to the charge of bribery which would be easier to stand-up because it relies only on the intention to buy favour.

The offices of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) were searched as investigation refocused

Barcelona deflected some attention away from the investigation on Thursday by announcing they were preparing to declare a profit of £262m (€304m) at next month’s general assembly. They also say they have reduced the club’s debt from £588m (€680m) to £477m (€552m).

The projection for the next financial year will be for a profit of just £9.5m (€11m) due in large part to the move to the smaller Olympic Stadium while the Camp Nou is being rebuilt.

The profit from last season is attributed to an increase in sponsorship, record merchandising figures, and £104m (€121m) of ticket revenue. The club also sold 15 per cent of audiovisual rights for £345m (€400m).

They are figures that suggest a much healthier financial outlook. Supporters will now hope that the confidence over the direction in which the corruption investigation is going is well placed.