Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu alongside three other ex-officials of the club was arrested on Monday, as the Catalan police raided Barca’s Nou Camp offices.
The force confirmed to Spanish radio station Onda Cero that the club’s current chief executive Oscar Grau, director of legal services Gomez Ponti, and advisor to the president Jaume Masferrer were the other three detained by Mossos d’Esquadra.
Bartomeu spent the night in the Les Corts police station, as did Masferrer, but Grau and Ponti were reportedly not detained.
Olga Tubau, the lawyer of ex-Barcelona executive Jaume Masferrer, said Bartomeu and Masferrer were being treated “very well”.
The operation was connected to last year’s Barcagate, in which club officials were accused of launching a smear campaign against current and former players, who were critical of the club and Bartomeu.
Barcelona denied the accusations saying they did not hire nor did they overpay a company to make negative comments about their own players and opponents on social media in order to boost the image of senior officials. The company was also accused of using fake social media accounts to discredit opposition figures when they expressed views that went against the club.
Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, as well as former head coach Pep Guardiola were said to be among those targetted.
Barcelona later released an independent audit report showing that there had been no wrongdoing.
Presidential candidate Joan Laporta also confirmed the arrest of Bartomeu on Monday and said the day’s events would cause “enormous harm to the image of our club”.
He said: “Facing what happened today with the raids at the club’s headquarters and the detentions of Barca’s ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu and other executives of the club, our team want to express our utmost respect for the actions conducted by the judiciary and police authorities as well as utmost respect towards the principle of presumption of innocence.
“We are deeply saddened by these events that cause enormous harm to the image of our club.”
A club statement on Monday said they were co-operating fully with the investigation, stating: “Regarding the entry and search by the Catalan Police force this morning … FC Barcelona have offered up their full collaboration to the legal and police authorities to help make clear facts which are subject to investigation.
“The information and documentation requested by the judicial police force relate strictly to the facts relative to this case. FC Barcelona express its utmost respect for the judicial process in place and for the principle of presumed innocence for the people affected within the remit of this investigation.”
Nice
Barcelona’s image in the mud.