Manchester United fans have been speculating about the possibility of more silverware heading to Old Trafford after Barcelona were hit with corruption charges.
Manchester United had a 100 per cent record in Champions League finals through 1968, 1999, and 2008.
This came to a sad end in 2009 when Barcelona beat United, and then doubled down in 2011 in a stunning win at Wembley, which they appeared to fully deserve.
United fans and players were left stunned by the dominance of the team many regarded as the greatest they had ever witnessed.
Well, sadly for the integrity of the sport of football, that title could now come with a giant asterisk.
Barcelona charged
According to ESPN and The Telegraph among others, Barcelona are being charged in relation to suspected bribery of referees, worth millions.
The latter’s report states: “Barcelona face a bribery case in the Spanish courts over a refereeing scandal that could potentially lead to the club being banned from football, at a time when their finances are at their most precarious and the Nou Camp has been demolished.”
Barcelona president Joan Laporta denies Barcelona have ever bought influence from referees.
The Mail report Barcelona could even be banned from playing Champions League football from next season.
The charges relate to a timeframe between 2001 and 2018. And that has got Manchester United fans speculating.
Manchester United fans react
Manchester United fans have been left wondering, and hoping, that Barcelona could end up being stripped of their Champions League titles won during this period.
This could potentially see them awarded to 2009 and 2011 runners-up, Manchester United, taking our tally from three to five.
One fan wrote on social media: “Give United the 2009 & 2011 champions league.”
Another supporter echoed: “Strip them of the 2009 and 2011 Champions League trophies and give them to the runners up.”
This was a common theme, with another fan saying: “Corruption hmmm. Give us the 2009 and 2011 Champions League trophies and we’ll call it a day.”
Another fan, getting carried away, wrote: “We are winning 2UCL from Barcelona. 2009 and 2011,” while a further celebratory tweet read: “Champions of Europe 1968, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2011”.
Will Barcelona’s Champions Leagues be awarded to Manchester United
There are currently no reports to back up fans’ hopes that Manchester United could be awarded Barcelona’s Champions League titles during this period.
The penalties Barcelona could face are more likely to be forward facing, in terms of being banned from competitions, or financial, if found guilty.
It’s possible, if more details of alleged offences come out, that calls may grow for their trophy record to be re-assessed. However, whether they would actually be awarded to another team, is a long shot.
And ask supporters of Italian clubs, who were awarded titles after Juventus were kicked out of Serie A, any ‘titles’ subsequently handed down, felt hollow.
We have also been here recently before. Manchester City have 115 charges hanging over them from the Premier League.
This led to similar speculation from supporters about whether United could be in line for retrospective trophies for second placed Premier League finishes. However, these investigations seem no nearer to conclusion, and it seems like wistful hope that any meaningful action will even be taken at all.
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