Barcelona Demands Expansion of Bartomeu Investigation into Griezmann Deal Commissions

FC Barcelona has requested the Spanish court to expand its investigation into former president Josep Maria Bartomeu to include suspicions surrounding the transfer of French forward Antoine Griezmann from Atlético Madrid. This move aims to verify the legality of a €1.5 million commission payment made to lawyer José Ángel González Franco during the transfer process, according to press reports citing the EFE agency.

In this context, the club revealed correspondence allegedly indicating pressure exerted on the French player's entourage to facilitate the aforementioned commission payment. This information surfaced after current president Joan Laporta requested additional details regarding the case. However, Bartomeu has vehemently denied these allegations, stating, "Neither the Catalans nor the members of the capital club paid any money to the lawyer," while emphasizing the integrity of the financial procedures followed at the time.

Furthermore, the club's demands included summoning Griezmann and his sister, who manages his affairs, to testify before the judiciary, a measure the former president has opposed. It is worth noting that Bartomeu is already subject to separate judicial investigations related to financial embezzlement and accounting fraud dating back to his previous tenure as club president.

The transfer of the French forward was completed in 2019 after Barcelona paid Atlético Madrid a release clause of €120 million. These latest judicial actions are part of the current administration's efforts to uncover any financial irregularities that may have marred major deals in recent years and to safeguard the club's legal rights.