Barcelona to probe internal complaints over payments during Bartomeu era

Barcelona are examining several internal complaints over contracts involving former president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his deputies.

Goal can confirm the existence of the complaints, which deal with payments made to some suppliers who failed to carry out any work or left their tasks unfinished.

Bartomeu was ousted as Barca president in October 2020 and was eventually replaced by Joan Laporta.

What are the allegations?

Goal has learned that several companies were hired and paid by the Blaugrana but there is no record that their tasks were completed. 

In fact, Barcelona employees, including those from the club’s communications and marketing departments, were allegedly forced to finish some of the suppliers’ work.

Some of that work includes work for the club’s Espai Barca project, which is set to remodel and upgrade Camp Nou and other related facilities.

In addition, sources suggested to Goal that multiple companies were hired and paid by Barca to carry out the exact same tasks.

Previous executives of the Espai Barca project have maintained that everything was done with the utmost transparency and professionalism.

Barcelona declined to comment when contacted by Goal about these allegations.

What was said?

Upon taking over at Barca, Laporta hinted at some potentially troublesome business that had been conducted under his predecessor.

“Things are emerging that we will have to solve, some worrying, others surprising and others complicated but that have a solution,” Laporta said at his introductory press conference. “We will be transparent to the maximum, because what we are finding has to be explained.”

Trouble grows for Bartomeu

Bartomeu’s involvement in the “Barcagate” scandal has already seen him arrested earlier this year. “Barcagate” is an ongoing investigation in which Bartomeu’s administration was accused of secretly paying PR company I3 Ventures to do online work for the club.

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