Barcelona police investigation and arrests

[Footballfirst]

There have been suggestions  of impropriety for some time, but it looks as if the issues are coming to a head.

 

Who would want to be a fan owned club? 

 

 

[HMFC01]

Drama..   If Messi was still on a fresh five year deal I need not wonder if this ordeal would be taking place. 

 

Reads like a coup more than justice. 

[NANOJAMBO]

Reminiscent of that documentary on Barca when the new board took over and signed Ronaldinho. 

The corruption at the club was staggering. 

[Cruyff]

Barca's days as a top European club look numbered unless they find a rich sheikh to bankroll them. 

 

Billions in debt, short term repayments of hundreds of millions due soon, Messi leaving in the summer. It doesn't look good. 

[WheatfieldWarrior]

I'm no fan of Barcelona, quite the opposite, but what is the specific crime that the Bartomeu is accused of? 

[WheatfieldWarrior]

34 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

Who would want to be a fan owned club? 

 

Indeed, if you are a fan owned club and your fans post 'Halkett Oot!' or 'Halliday Oot' for sake of argument, could that be used to show constructive dismissal?

 

Perhaps not I guess, but interesting thought nonetheless.

[Locky]

7 minutes ago, WheatfieldWarrior said:

I'm no fan of Barcelona, quite the opposite, but what is the specific crime that the Bartomeu is accused of? 

I can only assume with their current financial situation, there is perhaps some forms of embezzlement or laundering? Whether it's true or not is an entirely different story.

 

Makes you wonder how Barcelona, or any big club like this, can get into this state. Makes Ann Budge look like a messiah.

[John Findlay]

23 minutes ago, Locky said:

I can only assume with their current financial situation, there is perhaps some forms of embezzlement or laundering? Whether it's true or not is an entirely different story.

 

Makes you wonder how Barcelona, or any big club like this, can get into this state. Makes Ann Budge look like a messiah.

Greed. Greed for the perceived best players, greed for all the trophies.

Maybe Barcelona and also Real Madrid( like the OF the only difference between them is that they wear different coloured strips), make the team formerly known as Rangers amateurs.

[HMFC01]

A quick recap on what it was about.  "barcagate" 🤣   last year. 

 

https://www.espn.com/soccer/barcelona/story/4084104/barcelona-crisis-continues-as-board-sees-dramatic-resignations

 

Barcelona's institutional crisis deepened on Thursday as six board members resigned, citing disagreements over how the club is being run by president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

 

Among those to step down were two of the club's four vice presidents, Emili Rousaud and Enrique Tombas. Directors Silvio Elias, Josep Pont, Jordi Calsamiglia and Maria Texidor also handed in their notice.

 

The resignations are the result of months of internal sparring at the club. One source told ESPN on Wednesday that life behind the scenes at Camp Nou is like the television drama "Game of Thrones," explaining that everyone is vying to position themselves ahead of next summer's presidential elections.

 

"We reached this point by being unable to reverse the criteria for how the club is managed in the face of important challenges in the future, especially given the new post-[coronavirus] pandemic scenario," said a letter signed by the six board members, which was first published by La Vanguardia.

 

The letter goes on to call for the club to hold elections "as soon as circumstances allow so that important challenges in the immediate future can be managed in the best possible manner."

 

Elections are scheduled for the summer of 2021, and Bartomeu, who will not be able to run having already served two terms, has always insisted that he will not bring them forward.

 

Thursday's resignations are unlikely to change that stance in the short term. Bartomeu had earlier this week phoned four of them -- Rousaud, Tombas, Elias and Pont -- to ask them to step down. A source explained to ESPN that the president only wants "people he can trust" around him in the final year of his mandate.

 

Rousaud criticised Bartomeu's timing, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, and said that he felt betrayed.

 

There have been problems bubbling under the surface for a while, but things have grown more heated since the revelation in February that Barca had paid a third-party company to smear players, potential presidents and club legends online.

 

Bartomeu denied any knowledge of the social media accounts in question, rescinded the club's contract with the company in question and ordered an external investigation into what had happened.

 

During an emergency meeting to discuss the scandal, which became known as "Barca-gate" in the local media, several board members asked Bartomeu to fast-track the elections.

 

Since then, huge fractures have opened up among the board of directors, and leaks about negotiations with the players over a wage cut to help alleviate the financial effects of the coronavirus opened up more wounds last week.

 

Bartomeu said the leaks had not come from him or CEO Oscar Grau, who carried out negotiations which saw the players accept a 70% wage cut, and insinuated that they must have come from elsewhere inside the club.

 

The leaks angered the players -- a statement first released by Lionel Messi accused the club trying to put them under pressure -- and left the president feeling he needed to take action in the form of remodeling the board of directors.

 

Since being re-elected in 2015, Bartomeu has now seen seven vice presidents quit. Javier Faus, Susana Monje, Carles Vilarrubi, Manel Arroyo and Jordi Mestre all stepped down before Rousaud and Tombas for various reasons.

 

 

I just learned from sky sports the presidential elections are less than a week away... 

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by HMFC01

[portobellojambo1]

11 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

Greed. Greed for the perceived best players, greed for all the trophies.

Maybe Barcelona and also Real Madrid( like the OF the only difference between them is that they wear different coloured strips), make the team formerly known as Rangers amateurs.

 

I might be wrong John but I beleive all that allows Real Madrid to get away with paying out stupid money as they do is because they are sponsored by/overseen in some way by the main bank in Spain who can supply them with funds/adjust their declared figures almost instantly

Edited March 1, 2021 by portobellojambo1

[John Findlay]

1 minute ago, portobellojambo1 said:

 

I might be wrong John but I beleive all that allows Real Madrid to get away with paying out stupid money as they do is because they are sponsored by/overseen in some way by the main bank in Spain who can supply them with funds/adjust their declared figures almost instantly

Just a different form of cheating then.

[portobellojambo1]

5 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

Just a different form of cheating then.

I guess the only answer to that is yes.

[John Findlay]

1 minute ago, portobellojambo1 said:

I guess the only answer to that is yes.

There are many times when privately I think why bother, FIFA, UEFA, the top clubs of the top five leagues in Europe, are vying to see who can out cheat the other.

I havent even mentioned the SPFL board and SFA yet. I dread to think where football will be in 5 years time.

[Ribble]

Says everything about Barca that despite being essentially bankrupt that a candidate for president is campaigning by saying he'll sign 2 ballon d'or quality players if elected

[Under the floodlight]

8 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

There are many times when privately I think why bother, FIFA, UEFA, the top clubs of the top five leagues in Europe, are vying to see who can out cheat the other.

I havent even mentioned the SPFL board and SFA yet. I dread to think where football will be in 5 years time.

The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona is a fluid political  issue, therefore common-sense goes out the window regarding the two clubs fiscal policies. 

[John Findlay]

19 minutes ago, Under the floodlight said:

The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona is a fluid political  issue, therefore common-sense goes out the window regarding the two clubs fiscal policies. 

I know as far back as the Spanich civil war 1936-38 and beyond.

[Under the floodlight]

Just now, John Findlay said:

I know as far back as the Spanich civil war 1936-38 and beyond.

Yes, but there are several Catalan politicians incarcerated at the moment for their roles in the push for independence. Concerted efforts have been made to give Barcelona the tools to take top dog spot and therefore show defiance to Madrid and the Spanish establishment.

[Hagar the Horrible]

2 hours ago, HMFC01 said:

A quick recap on what it was about.  "barcagate" 🤣   last year. 

 

https://www.espn.com/soccer/barcelona/story/4084104/barcelona-crisis-continues-as-board-sees-dramatic-resignations

 

Barcelona's institutional crisis deepened on Thursday as six board members resigned, citing disagreements over how the club is being run by president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

 

Among those to step down were two of the club's four vice presidents, Emili Rousaud and Enrique Tombas. Directors Silvio Elias, Josep Pont, Jordi Calsamiglia and Maria Texidor also handed in their notice.

 

The resignations are the result of months of internal sparring at the club. One source told ESPN on Wednesday that life behind the scenes at Camp Nou is like the television drama "Game of Thrones," explaining that everyone is vying to position themselves ahead of next summer's presidential elections.

 

"We reached this point by being unable to reverse the criteria for how the club is managed in the face of important challenges in the future, especially given the new post-[coronavirus] pandemic scenario," said a letter signed by the six board members, which was first published by La Vanguardia.

 

The letter goes on to call for the club to hold elections "as soon as circumstances allow so that important challenges in the immediate future can be managed in the best possible manner."

 

Elections are scheduled for the summer of 2021, and Bartomeu, who will not be able to run having already served two terms, has always insisted that he will not bring them forward.

 

Thursday's resignations are unlikely to change that stance in the short term. Bartomeu had earlier this week phoned four of them -- Rousaud, Tombas, Elias and Pont -- to ask them to step down. A source explained to ESPN that the president only wants "people he can trust" around him in the final year of his mandate.

 

Rousaud criticised Bartomeu's timing, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, and said that he felt betrayed.

 

There have been problems bubbling under the surface for a while, but things have grown more heated since the revelation in February that Barca had paid a third-party company to smear players, potential presidents and club legends online.

 

Bartomeu denied any knowledge of the social media accounts in question, rescinded the club's contract with the company in question and ordered an external investigation into what had happened.

 

During an emergency meeting to discuss the scandal, which became known as "Barca-gate" in the local media, several board members asked Bartomeu to fast-track the elections.

 

Since then, huge fractures have opened up among the board of directors, and leaks about negotiations with the players over a wage cut to help alleviate the financial effects of the coronavirus opened up more wounds last week.

 

Bartomeu said the leaks had not come from him or CEO Oscar Grau, who carried out negotiations which saw the players accept a 70% wage cut, and insinuated that they must have come from elsewhere inside the club.

 

The leaks angered the players -- a statement first released by Lionel Messi accused the club trying to put them under pressure -- and left the president feeling he needed to take action in the form of remodeling the board of directors.

 

Since being re-elected in 2015, Bartomeu has now seen seven vice presidents quit. Javier Faus, Susana Monje, Carles Vilarrubi, Manel Arroyo and Jordi Mestre all stepped down before Rousaud and Tombas for various reasons.

 

 

I just learned from sky sports the presidential elections are less than a week away... 

 

Did the regime not also hire a firm to discredit their own player (inc Messi) on social media?

 

But that aside, the FFP needs looked at both Barca and Real who ave more debt that Africa, yet every year it gets it written off.  UEFA needs to look into this, but that would be like Fred West looking into Rose.

 

The game needs this brought down so it can cleans itself

[Footballfirst]

Apparently the charges include maladministration, conspiracy and money laundering.

[John Findlay]

3 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

Apparently the charges include maladministration, conspiracy and money laundering.

Although Barcelona are a vocal point for the Catalanians. I suspect the carpet in the Spanish FA HQ as the same size bulge in it as the one at Hampden Park.

[Hagar the Horrible]

They should hire Peter Lawwell and his PR team they will come out as victims

[TyphoonJambo]

1 hour ago, John Findlay said:

I know as far back as the Spanich civil war 1936-38 and beyond.

Most Spaniards actually support either Real or Barca. They'll follow their local team but pay more attention to how these two teams are doing. Every town has a supporters club of either,or both, and its more a political/family choice than anything else.

[HMFC01]

43 minutes ago, Hagar the Horrible said:

Did the regime not also hire a firm to discredit their own player (inc Messi) on social media?

 

But that aside, the FFP needs looked at both Barca and Real who ave more debt that Africa, yet every year it gets it written off.  UEFA needs to look into this, but that would be like Fred West looking into Rose.

 

The game needs this brought down so it can cleans itself

 

Answer to your question taken from the article I posted. 

 

"There have been problems bubbling under the surface for a while, but things have grown more heated since the revelation in February that Barca had paid a third-party company to smear players, potential presidents and club legends online.

 

Bartomeu denied any knowledge of the social media accounts in question, rescinded the club's contract with the company in question and ordered an external investigation into what had happened."

 

No mention of the exact name just third party.   Might not be true either.   Will find out after the investigation no doubt. 

[indianajones]

The Spanish duopoly can GTF. 

[Four faces]

Farcelona and unreal Madrid.

[Under the floodlight]

2 hours ago, TypoonJambo said:

Most Spaniards actually support either Real or Barca. They'll follow their local team but pay more attention to how these two teams are doing. Every town has a supporters club of either,or both, and its more a political/family choice than anything else.

Depends what area they live in, Andalucia yes, Galicia and Basque country no. I think there's an assumption that like Scotland you support either side of the old firm. In Catalunya if you support Espanyol you wouldn't support Barca.

[TyphoonJambo]

13 minutes ago, Under the floodlight said:

Depends what area they live in, Andalucia yes, Galicia and Basque country no. I think there's an assumption that like Scotland you support either side of the old firm. In Catalunya if you support Espanyol you wouldn't support Barca.

True. When I lived in Madrid it was obviously Real or Inter.  That also was largely along political lines. As you say, here in Andalucia its different. Even close to Sevilla,more people are bothered about the big two than Seville. Malaga are also not that well supported.  Definitely more likely to see the bars full if Real are playing Barca.

Edited March 1, 2021 by TypoonJambo

[Unknown user]

13 minutes ago, TypoonJambo said:

True. When I lived in Madrid it was obviously Real or Inter.  That also was largely along political lines. As you say, here in Andalucia its different. Even close to Sevilla,more people are bothered about the big two than Seville. Malaga are also not that well supported.  Definitely more likely to see the bars full if Real are playing Barca.

Inter?

[TyphoonJambo]

5 minutes ago, Smithee said:

Inter?

Sorry,my bad. ATHLETI

[Unknown user]

4 minutes ago, TypoonJambo said:

Sorry,my bad. ATHLETI

I did think that but you can never be sure if you've missed the point

[Under the floodlight]

11 minutes ago, TypoonJambo said:

True. When I lived in Madrid it was obviously Real or Inter.  That also was largely along political lines. As you say, here in Andalucia its different. Even close to Sevilla,more people are bothered about the big two than Seville. Malaga are also not that well supported.  Definitely more likely to see the bars full if Real are playing Barca.

You have a few good top flight teams near you, up here my nearest is a 2nd tier club Girona, which does have supporters who follow Barca as well. Every town has a Barca club where you can have a beer watch the match etc. Madrid are supported mostly by incomers from other parts of  of Spain as well as African migrant workers.

I can only bring myself to support the best, the famous Heart of Midlothian 

[Under the floodlight]

20 minutes ago, jonesy said:

I used to live in Vic - everyone a Barca fan but like OF fans, a shrug of the shoulders for most league matches unless they lost, then it would be a big inquest and blame game. Thought I'd get right into supporting Barca while living in Catalonia, but got turned off big time. 

 

20 minutes ago, jonesy said:

I used to live in Vic - everyone a Barca fan but like OF fans, a shrug of the shoulders for most league matches unless they lost, then it would be a big inquest and blame game. Thought I'd get right into supporting Barca while living in Catalonia, but got turned off big time. 

Nice town, been a couple of times, some nice eateries on the big plaza there. Yeah can't get into Barca at all. Espanyol were pretty decent when Ivan de la Peña used to play, but not now.

[TyphoonJambo]

58 minutes ago, Under the floodlight said:

You have a few good top flight teams near you, up here my nearest is a 2nd tier club Girona, which does have supporters who follow Barca as well. Every town has a Barca club where you can have a beer watch the match etc. Madrid are supported mostly by incomers from other parts of  of Spain as well as African migrant workers.

I can only bring myself to support the best, the famous Heart of Midlothian 

I went to a couple on Athletic games, at the old Calderón stadium,but was put of by the RW loonies at the game. 

To be honest being a neutral isn't for me, only one team gets my dander up

[jamboinglasgow]

6 hours ago, Ribble said:

Says everything about Barca that despite being essentially bankrupt that a candidate for president is campaigning by saying he'll sign 2 ballon d'or quality players if elected

 

Its the problem with fan ownership under the president model. Potential presidents make grand promises to be elected, fans would normally want a president who tells them that they will sign the best players and make Barca the top team again than one who says that they will make cuts and will have lean years but will get the club back to a sustainable level.

 

But Barca are a mess and it will take years for them to get back to anything like their normal level of recent years.

[Unknown user]

1 hour ago, TypoonJambo said:

I went to a couple on Athletic games, at the old Calderón stadium,but was put of by the RW loonies at the game. 

To be honest being a neutral isn't for me, only one team gets my dander up

I tried to get into my local team a couple of times abroad but I'm the same, I just didn't really care

[Footballfirst]

More financial problems for Barca and Real.

 

 

https://www.cityam.com/barcelona-and-real-madrid-handed-multi-million-tax-bills-as-european-court-of-justice-issues-definitive-verdict-in-state-aid-case/

Edited March 4, 2021 by Footballfirst

[davemclaren]

4 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

More financial problems for Barca and Real.

 

 

https://www.cityam.com/barcelona-and-real-madrid-handed-multi-million-tax-bills-as-european-court-of-justice-issues-definitive-verdict-in-state-aid-case/

FoH beware. 😄

[John Findlay]

33 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

More financial problems for Barca and Real.

 

 

https://www.cityam.com/barcelona-and-real-madrid-handed-multi-million-tax-bills-as-european-court-of-justice-issues-definitive-verdict-in-state-aid-case/

I'm sure they will come to some agreement. Top English clubs sighing in relief.