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- Spanish police have arrested FC Barcelona’s former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, reports El Pais.
- The arrest is reportedly in connection to last year’s “Barcagate” scandal.
- Police also entered the club’s stadium on Monday to conduct a search and seize operation.
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Spanish police have arrested FC Barcelona’s former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, reports Spanish newspaper El Pais.
The newspaper says the arrest is in connection to last year’s “Barcagate” scandal, in which club officials were accused of launching a smear campaign against current and former players who were critical of Bartomeu during his tenure.
Barcelona’s current CEO Óscar Grau, its head of legal services Román Gómez Pontí, and Bartomeu’s former advisor Jaume Masferrer have also been arrested, El Pais.
In addition, police also entered the club’s stadium, the Camp Nou, on Monday to conduct a search and seize operation.
Neither police nor Barcelona itself have confirmed any details of Monday’s raid or the arrests. No charges have been reported at this moment.
In February 2020, Radio station SER Catalunya reported that Barcelona had paid a firm called I3 Ventures over $1 million to create fake accounts on Facebook and Twitter and attack Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, and a host of ex-players and managers.
Barcelona acknowledged a relationship with I3 Ventures as a service provider, but denied it had any relation to the fake accounts.
—Què T'hi Jugues (@QueThiJugues) March 1, 2021
More to follow.