Drama at Barça: Bartomeu washes his hands and Joan Laporta closely follows him

Barça has started to make a sporting comeback after several seasons with more shadows than lights. With Deco in charge of the sporting direction and Hansi Flick on the bench, Barça's resurgence has been remarkable. The team won the domestic treble and reached the doorstep of the Champions League final, eliminated by Inter Milan.

In the financial sphere, President Joan Laporta has been forced to juggle in order to keep the club afloat. After a series of disastrous previous economic managements, Barça was left on the verge of bankruptcy and Laporta has tried to stabilize the situation. This situation remains delicate and there is still a long way to go to financially clean up the entity.

Precisely in recent days, Josep Maria Bartomeu has spoken again after being summoned in another judicial proceeding. The investigating court number 16 of the Ciudad Condal has summoned the former president to testify for allegedly illegal commission payments. Bartomeu has broken his silence and stated that, during his management, there may have been mistakes and successes but in no case has it been possible to show illegal actions.

Bartomeu charged in four criminal cases for his management

After his latest indictment, Bartomeu has come out to clarify his actions in each case in which judicial authorities have summoned him to testify. The first, solved with acquittal, and the next three without formal accusation. Starting with the Neymar 2 case, from which he was already acquitted, moving on to Barçagate and the Negreira case, both in the investigation phase.

In the latest case in which he was charged, which concerns allegedly illegal commissions, the case began based on a report from Laporta's board to the company Kroll. This report was delivered to the Prosecutor's Office, which has kept the investigation secret for the past two years. Bartomeu has expressed in a statement the serious personal harm caused to him through the media.

Bartomeu's statement

In the detailed statement made by Josep Mª Bartomeu through his lawyers, they make clear the actions of the former president in each of the cases in which he was charged. In the Neymar 2 case, they indicate that Josep Mª Bartomeu was acquitted. In the Barçagate case, after being detained by the Mossos, he was immediately released by the judicial authority.

From the very beginning, he showed his willingness to testify voluntarily as soon as he became aware of the essential aspects of the case. In the "Negreira" case, he gave testimony when he was summoned to testify. In the fourth case, a written statement was submitted to the Prosecutor's Office expressing his willingness to clarify any doubt or question.

In short, Josep Mª Bartomeu washes his hands, categorically stating that he has never personally benefited from his management at Barça. The former president points out the great personal harm that all the information published in the press has caused him. Joan Laporta is closely following the matter, especially in the latest indictment, which was the result of a complaint filed by the president after a "forensic" was carried out.