Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday they had found design flaws in the bridge's gusset plates, which helped tie the steel beams together.
Cardiff could still come up with an agreed repayment structure - so the club avoid a winding-up order just days before their lucrative FA Cup fifth round tie with holders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
But Barcelona's attacking brilliance cast a shadow over the mood of celebration inside Stamford Bridge - and they were back in charge of the tie before half-time.