Barcelona ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu arrested over ‘Barcagate’ smear scandal
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been arrested by Spanish police as they probe his involvement in the ‘Barcagate’ scandal which saw the club’s players smeared.
Bartomeu, who resigned from his role in October last year, is one of three people arrested so far, along with the club’s CEO Oscar Grau and head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti, and more could follow.
Spanish police entered the club’s offices at Camp Nou on Monday morning in a search and seize operation as they conduct an investigation into the ‘Barcagate’ allegations.
Last year, club officials were accused of paying a third party to launch smear campaigns against current and former players who were critical of the club and then president Bartomeu.
SER Catalunya first reported in February last year that Barca had enlisted the services of I3 Ventures to clean up the image of Bartomeu, but that the emphasis shifted to targeting the club’s players.
I3 Ventures is alleged to have attacked people related to the club, with star players Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique chief among them.
Both Messi and his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, were targeted, while Pique, for example, was criticised for his involvement in organising the Davis Cup.
The likes of Carles Puyol, Xavi and Pep Guardiola, all club legends, were also discredited by campaigns allegedly run by I3 – through a number of Facebook and Twitter accounts – as were presidential candidates Agusti Benedito and Vitor Font.
In response Barcelona cancelled their contract with I3 and launched an internal investigation which absolved them of wrong-doing, though Bartomeu resigned amid mounting pressure and anger from fans in October along with the entire board of directors.
The latest incident compounds a miserable year for Barcelona on and off the pitch and overshadows the upcoming presidential election, which takes place on March 7.
MORE : Barcelona could target Mikel Arteta with Arsenal boss on presidential candidate’s list of targets
Follow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Full Post Here - Barcelona ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu arrested over ‘Barcagate’ smear scandal
Get Bitcoin Watching YouTube
No comments: