Barcelona Football Club has launched a new legal action as part of the ongoing investigation into a case involving high commissions in the signing of French player Antoine Griezmann in 2019, before the Court of Investigation No. 16 in Barcelona. The case is filed against former president Josep Maria Bartomeu on charges related to mismanagement, embezzlement, and forgery, according to the Spanish newspaper 'Sport'.

According to the newspaper, this move is based on a report prepared by current president Joan Laporta regarding financial damages resulting from the previous management of the club, which revealed a deficit estimated at about 30 million euros in several operations, including commission payments that reached up to 33% in some deals.

The transfer deal of Griezmann from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona for 120 million euros is one of the prominent files under investigation, where suspicions indicate the possible receipt of a commission by lawyer José Ángel González Franco, who is also under investigation, estimated at one and a half million euros for mediating the deal.

According to the Spanish newspaper 'Sport', Barcelona's lawyers have requested the court to summon Antoine Griezmann and his sister, who represented his interests, to testify as witnesses in the case to clarify details related to the distribution of commissions and the parties involved.

The newspaper also pointed to the existence of electronic correspondences within the case file, indicating that representatives from Barcelona at that time exerted pressure on the player's entourage to resolve the commission issue before finalizing his contract with the club.

The documents, according to the same source, included references to agreements related to the percentage of commissions linked to the player's salary and bonuses, in addition to financial arrangements related to the payment method of dues.

Barcelona asserts in its legal memorandum, according to the Spanish newspaper Sport, that the purpose of summoning Griezmann and his sister is to determine whether the club suffered any financial damage due to these commissions and whether they were unjustifiably paid.

The investigations in this case continue, which is part of a series of financial files related to the previous management of the club, at a time when the current Barcelona administration seeks to clarify all the details of that period.