According to the Spanish newspaper "EL MUNDO", the former president of FC Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has been officially charged by Court No. 16 in Barcelona, following a complaint filed by the current president, Joan Laporta, in 2022.

The report states that Bartomeu and several members of his former board are accused of paying millions of euros in hidden commissions in various deals, most notably the transfers of Antoine Griezmann and Malcom, in addition to other financial operations suspected of being illegal.

The case, which has been under extensive investigation for more than two years, is expected to have serious repercussions on the previous management of the club, as Josep Maria Bartomeu is set to appear in court on October 24th to face multiple charges against him and members of his former administration, including mismanagement, embezzlement, and manipulation of accounting records.

The newspaper added that the damages incurred by Barcelona due to these practices amount to 30 million euros, with commissions of about 33% being paid through fictitious companies created specifically to conceal the funds.

Among the most notable deals included in the investigations is the transfer of Malcom, during which a commission of 10 million euros was paid through a contract signed after the completion of the transfer. The investigations also revealed that 1.7 million euros were paid to lawyer Gonzales Franco to settle the case related to Neymar outside the courts.

Documents also showed that Barcelona paid 15 million euros to Atletico Madrid to avoid the latter resorting to legal action after the Catalan club negotiated with Antoine Griezmann despite him being under an active contract with the rojiblancos.