After the 'signing scandal,' the former Barca president faces court again due to new allegations.

Barcelona remains embroiled in backstage turmoil with former President Josep Maria Bartomeu accused of financial misconduct related to irregular commission payments on multiple agreements.

According to Cadena SER, the Barcelona city court has summoned Bartomeu and former CEO Oscar Grau to appear in court on October 24. Both are charged with fraud connected to the payment processes of contracts during their tenure. Additionally, lawyer Jose Angel Gonzalez Franco, who was involved in the Antoine Griezmann deal, is scheduled to testify on December 4.

Sources reveal that this lawsuit was initiated by the current President Joan Laporta following a detailed third-party investigation into Barca’s financial situation. Laporta accuses his predecessor of causing a loss of approximately 30 million Euros from the club’s funds.

In the lawsuit, the current board states explicitly that some deals involved inflated and unusual commission fees, with some reaching as high as 33%. A notable example is the signing of Malcom from Bordeaux for 40 million Euros, accompanied by a commission fee of up to 10 million Euros. Remarkably, the contract regarding this commission was signed even after Barca had finalized the transfer.

Furthermore, lawyer Gonzalez Franco is accused of receiving 1.7 million Euros from Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Barca, along with other suspicious fees related to bringing Griezmann from Atletico Madrid. Laporta also accuses the former management of attempting to bypass financial control regulations, including an “illegal” payment of 15 million Euros to Atletico to avoid legal complications in acquiring Griezmann.

This is not the first time Bartomeu has faced legal troubles. Previously, he was summoned in connection with the “Negreira Case,” a scandal where Barca was accused of paying the company of former Vice President of the Refereeing Committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, to influence referee decisions. Bartomeu has denied all allegations, asserting his innocence, but both his and Barcelona’s reputations have been severely damaged.

With these new allegations involving a 30 million Euro loss from deals, Bartomeu and his former team risk facing severe penalties. This will surely be one of the most significant football-related lawsuits in Spain this year, further deepening divisions within Barcelona’s internal factions.