Barcelona president Bartomeu accused of corruption by police | OneFootball

A report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo says the Catalan police believe they have sufficient evidence to accuse Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu of corruption.

Bartomeu has been making headlines lately after he and his board were cited as the principle reason behind Lionel Messi’s desire to leave Camp Nou.

But just hours after reports began to emerge suggesting that Messi is now more likely to stay at the club than leave this summer, Bartomeu has found himself in the midst of an alleged scandal.

According to El Mundo’s information, the Catalan police force Los Mossos have claimed there is “sufficient evidence” to accuse Bartomeu of corruption and personally benefiting financially from the ‘BarçaGate’ scandal.

Earlier this year, Spanish radio station Cadena SER revealed documents which appeared to show that Barcelona had hired an external company – I3 Ventures – to tarnish the reputations of a number of popular figures who were perceived to be opponents of the president.

Messi and Gerard Piqué were among those who were reportedly the subject of derogatory social media posts made by I3 Ventures, along with club legends such as Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Pep Guardiola.

Barcelona have always strenuously denied the allegations, but it is now being claimed that Bartomeu sanctioned a payment to I3 Ventures that was six times higher than the market value, and the reasoning behind the inflated value is now being investigated by the authorities.

It is not yet known what the likely repercussions of these allegations will be for Bartomeu, but it is yet another dramatic incident in a dramatic summer for Barcelona.

A penny for Messi’s thoughts right now.