Time.news – Storm over Barcelona: the former president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, the former chief of staff, Jaume Masfeerrer, and the current general manager, Oscar Grau, were arrested. The handcuffs were triggered, according to judicial sources, by the Mossos d’Esquadra as part of the investigation into the so-called ‘Barcagate’.
The investigation is linked to an external company which, on behalf of the club, spread negative comments on social networks against the players who contested the line of the company and other figures disliked by the management. The Catalan police also carried out searches at the Barcelona offices at the Camp Nou in search of information useful for the investigation. The offenses are corruption and administrative offenses. The complaint was initiated by a group of subscribers gathered under the acronym “Dignitat Blaugrana”.
The explosion of the scandal, unearthed a year ago by the radio station Cadena Ser, led to the resignation of six members of the club’s board of directors last April. Among the figures who have been targeted by negative social campaigns are former coach Pep Guardiola and prominent players like Gerard Piqué and Lionel Messi, who was targeted after a clash with sporting director Eric Abidal.
Barcelona reacted by stating that the recruited club, I3 Ventures, was simply tasked with monitoring conversations on social networks about Barcelona. Emili Rosaud, former deputy director of the club, had also argued that the contract with I3 Ventures had financial irregularities.
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