Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is facing new fraud allegations following a complaint by current president Joan Laporta.
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is once again facing legal trouble, this time over allegations of fraud linked to irregularities in transfer payments during his time in charge of the club. According to Cadena SER, a court in Barcelona has summoned Bartomeu to explain the questionable handling of several deals, following a complaint lodged by current president Joan Laporta.
Bartomeu to testify in October
The hearing is scheduled for October 24, when Bartomeu will appear in court alongside former Barcelona CEO Oscar Grau, who is also accused of fraud. Later this year, on December 4, lawyer Jose Angel González Franco will testify regarding his controversial role in Antoine Griezmann’s €120 million move from Atlético Madrid in 2019.
Laporta’s legal team claim that Bartomeu’s administration mismanaged a number of transfers, which ultimately cost Barcelona around €30 million. The complaint is supported by a forensic investigation conducted by Kroll, a private detective agency.
Deals under suspicion
Among the transfers scrutinized, three in particular stand out. Reports suggest that some deals included commissions as high as 33%, with companies created purely to bill the club.
The €40 million signing of Malcom from Bordeaux raised immediate red flags, as Barcelona allegedly agreed to an additional €10 million commission after the transfer had already been finalized.
Payments linked to Neymar’s move from Santos saw González Franco pocket €1.7 million in fees.
In Griezmann’s transfer, Laporta’s complaint alleges Barcelona made an illegitimate payment of €15 million to Atlético Madrid in order to prevent legal action over their initial approach for the French striker.
The current administration believes these operations were deliberately structured to avoid internal financial restrictions and controls.
Another blow after the Negreira case
These accusations arrive just weeks after Bartomeu testified in the Negreira case, in which he faces charges of fraud and sporting corruption for Barcelona’s payments to a company linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee. Bartomeu has continually denied wrongdoing, insisting he was unaware of Negreira’s connection to the firm hired for referee analysis reports.
In addition to fraud and misappropriation of funds, Bartomeu and his former board are now also accused of forgery, in what has become yet another damaging chapter in Barcelona’s battle over its financial and political past.