FC Barcelona: club headquarters raided, former president J.M. Bartomeu in police custody (press)

"Regarding the entry and search by the Catalan Police force this morning at the Camp Nou offices by order of the Instructing Court number 13 in Barcelona, which is in charge of the case relating to the contacting of monitoring services on social networks, FC Barcelona (LaLiga Santander) have offered up their full collaboration to the legal and police authorities to help make clear facts which are subject to investigation," announced the club on 01/03/2021.

Several former leaders of the Catalan club, including former president Josep Maria Bartomeu (who resigned on 27/10/2020, see below), are suspected of having used the services of a company specialised in digital communication to improve their image in the run-up to Barça's presidential elections and to harm, especially via social networks, the image of a number of personalities known to be critical of them, including the players Gerard Piqué (ESP) and Lionel Messi (ARG).

"The information and documentation requested by the judicial police force relate strictly to the facts relative to this case. FC Barcelona express its utmost…