History of Barçagate in Timeline

Barçagate, revealed in February 2020, centers on FC Barcelona allegedly hiring I3 Ventures to conduct a social media defamation campaign. The aim was to protect then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu's image and influence public opinion. This involved creating numerous unofficial social media accounts to both praise Bartomeu and discredit his critics. Targets included prominent FC Barcelona players like Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué, club legends such as Xavi and Carles Puyol, former coach Pep Guardiola, and presidential candidates like Victor Font and Joan Laporta. The campaign also allegedly targeted pro-independence figures and organizations, like Quim Torra, Carles Puigdemont, Òmnium Cultural and Assemblea Nacional Catalana.

February 2020: Barçagate Uncovered

In February 2020, journalists Adrià Soldevila and Sergi Escudero of Cadena SER uncovered the Barçagate scandal, an alleged defamation campaign by FC Barcelona on social media involving the hiring of I3Ventures.sl to create states of opinion through unofficial accounts, protecting Josep Maria Bartomeu's image while attacking players like Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué, former players, and political figures.

March 2021: Arrests and Raids in Barçagate Case

On March 1, 2021, Catalan police raided FC Barcelona's offices, leading to the arrest of Josep Maria Bartomeu, his adviser Jaume Masferrer, CEO Oscar Grau, and head of legal services Roman Gomez Bonti. Bartomeu admitted to hiring I3 Ventures to improve Barcelona's image on social media but denied intending to damage individual reputations. FC Barcelona released a statement that the police were investigating "contacting of monitoring services on social networks".