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Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is facing new legal trouble as Spanish judges widen their investigation into his time in charge of the club.
A court in Barcelona has ruled that Antoine Griezmann’s 2019 move from Atlético Madrid should be added to the case looking into possible illegal payments made under Bartomeu’s presidency, according to El Mundo.
The judge found signs of bad management and false documents linked to a €15 million payment Barcelona made to Atlético. Reports say the money was meant to stop Atlético from filing a complaint after Barcelona spoke with Griezmann while he was still under contract — something FIFA rules forbid.
To make the payment look legal, it was presented as a deal giving Barcelona the first option to sign several young Atlético players. The court now believes this was only a cover for the real purpose of the payment.
This comes on top of other corruption claims Bartomeu already faces. Police had earlier found problems in the 2018 signing of Malcom, when €10 million was paid to a company called BFE for “intermediation services” that investigators say were unnecessary or inflated.
Bartomeu, who ran the club from 2014 to 2020, has denied any wrongdoing. But the latest findings suggest the case against him is growing.
