Barcelona Now Facing Legal Trouble with Payment Irregularities

Spain – Barcelona are facing more problems off the pitch and an investigation has been opened into alleged irregularities in the agent payment. This investigation have opened by the Tax Agency in Spain, according to El Confidencial. 

The authorities consider the payments made to agents as a way to increase the salaries of players while evading taxes.

This could blow up into another scandal for Barcelona who are already being investigated for bribing referees in the Negreira scandal.

The focus of this new investigation revolves around payments made to representatives of players associated with Barcelona between 2015 and 2018. In this case, Barcelona's President between 2015 and 2018 was Josep Maria Bartomeu. 

These payments, it is alleged, could have been aimed at increasing players' salaries while evading the corresponding taxes. Such actions, if proven, could be considered tax fraud under Spanish law, a serious offense carrying significant penalties including substantial fines and potential prison sentences.

It's expected that Bartomeu will have a case to answer in the matter.

As the investigations unfold, Barcelona finds itself under intense scrutiny, both from football enthusiasts and legal authorities. The club's management and past decisions, particularly during the tenure of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, are now under the microscope.

The outcome of these investigations will not only impact the club's financial standing but could also have significant repercussions on its leadership, further complicating an already challenging period for one of football's most iconic institutions.