Barcelona is investigating two suspicious payments related to Antoine Griezmann's transfer, revealing around €30 million in questionable financial activity. The audit has raised concerns about inflated commissions and has put pressure on the previous board led by Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Mentioned in this story
Barcelona launch investigation into two suspicious payments made in Antoine Griezmann transfer
Joan Laporta’s administration has taken a keen interest in auditing Barcelona’s transactions under the previous board headed by Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Such an audit, when conducted, revealed around €30 million in suspicious financial activity, setting the alarm bells ringing and putting pressure on the previous board who had come out repeatedly to defend themselves.
After all, the said suspicious activity included inflated commissions in player transfers and has led to Bartomeu being investigated for misappropriation of funds and disloyal administration.
As relayed by SPORT in a recent report, Barcelona have now found evidence that directly links Bartomeu to a suspicious payment in the transfer saga of Antoine Griezmann.
The Catalans signed the player from Atletico Madrid by triggering his €120 million release clause, and while it was clean on paper, there is now a doubt that lawyer Gonzalez Franco was involved with a hidden commission in the deal.
Franco is said to have received €1.5 million as part of the transaction, which is suspicious because he is neither a sports agent nor was directly involved in the negotiations.
Griezmann was signed by Barcelona in 2019. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
In fact, Laporta and Co. have unearthed an email that threatens Griezmann’s entourage to ‘settle’ commission payments with the lawyer before they sent the final contract.
The investigation focuses on two suspicious payments linked to Griezmann's transfer, which are part of a larger audit revealing €30 million in questionable financial activities.
Josep Maria Bartomeu, the former president of Barcelona, is under investigation for misappropriation of funds and disloyal administration related to inflated commissions in player transfers.
The audit was initiated by Joan Laporta's administration to review transactions under the previous board, uncovering significant suspicious financial activities.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will play its World Cup matches in the United States as planned, despite recent uncertainties due to airstrikes. The Iranian football association was notably absent from the recent FIFA congress in Vancouver.
Don't miss Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Game 6 on April 30 at 9:30 p.m. ET!
Tigers secure a 5-2 win over the Braves with key plays from Matt Vierling.
Gujarat Titans opt to bowl first against RCB; Prasidh Krishna left out again.
Liverpool is looking at Feyenoord's Arne Slot for the head coach role amid tactical struggles.
Paula Badosa revela que necesita parar por problemas mentales y se baja de Roma.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Moreover, the commission was structured to be 5% of the total salary and bonuses, which could go as high as €7 million, but the lawyer settled for a one-time payment of €1.5 million in July 2019.
The current board thus argue that the lawyer was not central to negotiations and that the payment was a farce.
They are now calling on the player and his sister, who served as his representative, to testify and confirm that the payments were not clean.
Further, there is an added claim that Barcelona paid Atletico Madrid €15 million to compensate them after their complaint to the RFEF that Barcelona negotiated with the player illegally before activating his clause. That, needless to say, is even more worrying if true.