Police raids at Headquarters of FC Barcelona

The Spanish police entered Barcelona’s stadium on Monday in a search and seize operation.

According to the media reports, the operation was related to last year’s “Barça-gate,” in which club officials were accused of launching a smear campaign against current and former players who were critical of the club and then-president Bartomeu by allegedly hiring a social media company to publicly discredit them.

Media reports said that former president Josep Maria Bartomeu is among those who have been arrested during the operation.

Among those arrested also included, the current chief executive Òscar Grau, and Barcelona’s head of legal services, Román Gómez Pontí on suspicion of “unfair administration, corruption between individuals and money laundering.

Bartomeu and his board of directors resigned last year amid fallout from the controversy surrounding Lionel Messi.

The club has been hindered in political turmoil and debt prompted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The operation comes less than a week before presidential elections are to be held at the club.