Five years for a last-minute report and documentation?

Bartomeu Confused by the Mossos Investigation: Five Years for a Breaking Report and Documentation?

The former president of FC Barcelona appears in the social media case and expresses his surprise at the development of the police investigation.

The former president of FC Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, expressed this Friday his deep surprise at the actions of the Central Unit for Laundering and Economic Crimes of the Mossos d'Esquadra. After appearing before the judge of the Investigative Court number 13 of Barcelona, Bartomeu criticized the slowness of the process, pointing out that five years have passed for the preparation of a report, and that additional documentation has been presented just three days before his statement.

Bartomeu claimed to have offered a sincere statement about the reasons that led him to hire the Nicestream company. The objective of this hiring was to monitor the club's reputation on social networks. However, he requested the possibility of testifying again in the coming weeks, once he has been able to examine the new documentation provided by the police, which is estimated to be a considerable volume of between 5,000 and 6,000 additional pages.

Despite showing absolute respect for the work of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the former president reiterated his surprise at the way in which this investigation unit has handled the case. He described the process as “very long and cumbersome,” suggesting that the dynamics of the investigation seem unusual and prolonged to him.

Both Bartomeu and his former chief of staff, Jaume Masferrer, are under investigation for alleged disloyal administration and corruption between individuals. According to the Mossos investigations, 2.3 million euros would have been disbursed from the club to Nicestream. The purpose of these payments, according to the accusation, was to defame individuals close to Barça who held critical positions towards the management of the then president.

During his statement, Bartomeu defended the basis for hiring Nicestream before the judge. He argued that the company was chosen because it “did not have clients in the political world,” which he considered a guarantee of objectivity. The stated purpose was to analyze the impact of social networks on the club's image, given the growing prominence of these platforms.

The former leader located the origin of this strategic decision in 2017. This period was marked by the departure of Neymar to PSG and a turbulent political panorama in Catalonia. Bartomeu explained that the proliferation of information on social networks made verification and the club's response capacity difficult.

Bartomeu emphasized that at no time was the creation of profiles with the purpose of defaming any person authorized. The purpose of the contract, according to his testimony, was to obtain a social network monitoring service to, based on the data collected, design strategies and counteract information that he considered inaccurate. He disassociated himself from the possible creation of defamatory profiles, recalling that his role as president involved institutional representation, not daily executive management.

Likewise, he defended that the guidelines given to Nicestream were always aimed at “improving the image and reputation of Barça.” He stressed that the intention was that the messages disseminated on social networks always had a positive and constructive nature for the entity.

Regarding the expansion of the police report, Bartomeu pointed out that it included WhatsApp conversations between people linked to the club. He maintained that these conversations were “taken out of context” and stated that he would provide the full exchanges so that, within a broader framework, his interpretation would be clearer and more precise.

He justified the fragmentation of payments under the Nicestream contract as a common practice at the club, similar to that of other services such as security or cleaning. He denied that this payment method was intended to avoid the control of the board of directors. He explained that the initial confidentiality of the service was the reason why it was not comprehensively reported at first.

Bartomeu concluded his speech by highlighting the need to contextualize the events in 2017. He described that period as “huge moments of tension and great concern for everyone,” which motivated the need to be aware of what was happening in Catalonia through social networks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Josep Maria Bartomeu?: Josep Maria Bartomeu is the former president of FC Barcelona.
What case is being investigated?: He is being investigated in the so-called social media case, for alleged unfair administration and corruption between individuals.
What company did FC Barcelona hire under its presidency?: FC Barcelona hired the company Nicestream to monitor its reputation on social networks.
What was the alleged objective of hiring Nicestream according to the Mossos?: According to the Mossos, the objective was to defame people critical of the club's management.
How much money was paid to Nicestream?: 2.3 million euros would have been paid from the club to Nicestream.
What did Bartomeu argue about the choice of Nicestream?: He argued that Nicestream was chosen because it had no clients in the political world.
When was the decision to hire Nicestream made?: The decision was placed in the context of 2017, after the departure of Neymar and the political situation in Catalonia.
Did Bartomeu admit to creating profiles to defame?: No, Bartomeu denied having hired the creation of profiles to defame, but rather a monitoring service.
What did Bartomeu say about the WhatsApp conversations included in the police report?: He stated that they were taken out of context and that he would contribute the entire conversations for a better understanding.
Why were payments to Nicestream split?: Bartomeu justified that it was a common practice at the club and not to avoid the control of the board of directors.