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Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been charged following a complaint filed by current club president Joan Laporta, El Mundo reports.
Laporta had accused Bartomeu in 2022 of taking suspicious commissions during his tenure, interfering with transfer deals, and mismanaging club funds. After a two-year investigation, the court has now summoned Bartomeu to appear on October 24.
According to the report, Bartomeu faces three main charges – dishonest administration, embezzlement, and accounting manipulation.
Among the accusations are commissions of up to 33% allegedly channelled through shell companies, as well as a 10% commission in the Malcom transfer via a contract signed after the deal.
Bartomeu is also accused of paying €1.7 million to lawyer Gonzalez Franco to settle the Neymar case and a further €15 million to Atletico Madrid to stop them from taking legal action after Barcelona’s unauthorised approach for Antoine Griezmann.
Laporta estimates the total losses from these alleged fraudulent operations to be around €30 million – a significant blow given the club’s fragile financial state.
Bartomeu’s presidency has been dogged by scandal, with his tenure previously linked to the Negreira case and other financial controversies surrounding his management of the club.
