Barca could swap La Liga for French football if Catalonia achieves independence

Could it really be that Barcelona are forced to swap La Liga for a place in France's Ligue 1 next season? Possibly.

In Spain, there's the prospect of a referendum to decide whether Catalonia - the region of which Barcelona is the capital city - remains part of Spain. As reported by The Telegraph, if the Spanish people vote for Catalonian independence, it could see the expulsion of Barcelona from the country's top division. La Liga's chief executive, Javier Tebas, has warned the Barca board that independence from Spain could cost them their place in the league. "If Catalonia became independent, taking into consideration the Sports Law that would be enforced by the rest of Spain, Barcelona wouldn't be allowed to play," Tebas said. But while their future in Spanish football appears slightly uncertain it appears that the Blaugrana have been offered an escape route into French football, courtesy of the country's PM. Prime Minister Manuel Valls, a lifelong Barca fan, has backed Catalonian independence and even gone as far to offer the current European champions a spot in the French top flight.