Arsenal fans call on UEFA to award them Champions League title amid Barcelona alleged bribery case

Arsenal fans are calling on UEFA to award them the 2006 Champions League title if Barcelona are found guilty of suspected bribery.

Barcelona came from 1-0 down to defeat the 10-man Gunners in Paris, after Sol Campbell - in what would prove to be his last game for the club - had put Arsene Wenger's side ahead in the first half.

But the goal came after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off for bringing down Samuel Eto'o outside the area.

The player disadvantage began to count against Arsenal as the game went on, and Frank Rijkaard's side scored two second half goals in four minutes through Eto'o and Juliano Belletti.

The goals knocked the wind completely out of Arsenal's sails, and there was to be no comeback from Wenger's side.

The Gunners therefore failed to win their first Champions League/European Cup, and have never come as close to winning it ever since.

On Thursday, Barcelona were charged with suspected bribery by a Spanish judge.

They have been charged over payments made to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, over a 17-year period.

The Catalan club are alleged to have paid £7.5 million to companies owned by Negreira between 2001 and 2018.

Former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, as well as Negreira and his son, have also been charged. SPORTbible has attempted to contact Bartomeu, while Reuters could not reach Negreira.

Barcelona and current president Joan Laporta have both denied any wrongdoing in the case. In February, Barcelona stated that the payments were made for 'technical reports related to professional refereeing' and nothing else.

Barcelona told SPORTbible: "The FCB lawyers already considered the hypothesis that now has been reflected in the court order and have been working since the beginning on all aspects related to this motive."

UEFA, meanwhile, are currently undergoing their own investigation into the club.

The federation allowed Barca to enter this season's Champions League, but stated, as per Marca, that the EDIs involved in the investigation are 'invited to continue and complete their investigation and send a new report to the UEFA Appeal Body if and when they consider that the admission/exclusion of FC Barcelona should be evaluated'.

There is so far no indication of what kind of punishment Barcelona would receive if they were to be found guilty of suspected bribery.

But that hasn't stopped Arsenal fans, on X (Twitter), calling on UEFA to give them the 2006 Champions League if a guilty verdict is delivered.

One wrote: "We deserved that man."

Another said: "That final still hurts me man."

A third said: "Give Wenger his 2006 UCL."

A fourth added: "Need that CL trophy too, Father Wenger deserves it more than anyone."

And a fifth prophecised: "Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger going to collect their 2006 UCL winners' medals."