Barcelona police raided offices at Camp Nou, while detaining for questioning other suspects involved in the Catalan club's corruption case
Joseph Maria Bartomeu.
arrested
Photo:
AFP
Police are raiding the club's offices
Photo:
Reuters
After a year full of crises, and not just because of the losses on the grass, with a huge economic pit and when the presidential election takes place on Sunday, Barcelona today received a new hard blow, mainly to its image.
The Mossos, members of the Catalan police, raided the club's offices today (Monday) and a few minutes later former president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested at his home.
Investigators belonging to the police economic crime desk came to the Camp Nou to search for more material about the so-called "Barça Gate", a scandal that exploded in February.
According to the suspicions, the club - under President Bartomeu - has hired several companies to run social media campaigns that blacken opposition members in management and even important players of the team like Leo Messi, Gerard Pique and their families.
Bartomeu resigned in October due to pressure from the club's poor financial situation, results such as the 8: 2 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and of course the confrontation with the big star Messi.
Apart from him, key figures were arrested today such as former adviser Juma Masparr, CEO Oscar Grau and Barça's legal adviser Roman Gomez Ponti.
In addition there is a news that the club paid much more than the standard and acceptable price, and a senior official or board member took a commission from the contract with the companies in these campaigns.
Bartomeu at the time denied all the allegations and loot he ordered to do so in fake social media accounts, but the crisis caused some resignations in management, creating a crack in the trust of the fans and especially of his players.
Catalan police are located at the Camp Nou offices this morning to search for documentation in connection with the BarçaGate investigation.
Arrests are not ruled out.
[cadena ser] pic.twitter.com/qFqKRiol6W
- barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 1, 2021
An investigation that the club asked an outside company to carry out a slew of corruption in relation to Bartholomew and found no clear evidence that came out of the club an order to blacken Messi, Pique or who is today one of the three presidential candidates, Victor Von.
Von will try to surprise on Sunday the favorite candidate and former president Jean Leforte.
In an exclusive interview with "Israel Today", Leforte promised to return the club to its glorious days, to open a new page to overcome the deep economic crisis that he claims Bartomeu is to blame for and especially to convince Messi to continue at the club.
Bartomeu's arrest will not affect the team much today as he is already out of the club, but it is a blow to the club's image and may open a Pandora's box.
In the meantime the one who should be most concerned is Bartomeu.
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