Bartomeu era comes back to haunt Barcelona as €1.7m payment faces fresh scrutiny | OneFootball

Some chapters in FC Barcelona’s recent history have proved far harder to close than others. The club has spent years trying to move beyond the financial and institutional controversies that marked the final stretch of Josep Maria Bartomeu’s presidency.

Yet several decisions from that period continue to resurface, dragging old questions back into the present and keeping the previous administration under scrutiny. The latest development concerns a €1.7 million payment connected to the Neymar case.

According to AS, former Barcelona legal chief Roman Gomez Ponti has told a Barcelona court that responsibility for approving the payment to Jose Angel Gonzalez Franco, Bartomeu’s personal lawyer, rested with the club’s board rather than with the legal department.

Ghosts of presidents past

Gomez Ponti appeared before Investigating Court No. 16 as part of an inquiry stemming from a complaint by prosecutors. The case examines several payments made during Bartomeu’s presidency, with prosecutors alleging that around €4 million was diverted through commissions and intermediary fees without the club being properly informed.

At the centre of this particular issue is Gonzalez Franco’s role in the settlement of the Neymar tax case. Barcelona eventually admitted two tax offences and accepted a €5.5 million fine. Prosecutors argue, however, that Gonzalez Franco was representing Bartomeu personally rather than the club, whose legal defence was being handled by Cristobal Martell. They also contend that the €1.7 million payment was agreed before receiving proper board approval.

Gomez Ponti has distanced himself from the decision-making process, insisting that his role was limited to offering an opinion. At the same time, he defended the amount paid, arguing that the lawyer had contributed to negotiations and that the fee reflected the financial saving achieved through the settlement.

Further testimony has added another layer as a representative linked to AIG, Barcelona’s directors’ liability insurer, said the company had covered an initial €200,000 payment but rejected subsequent requests approaching €1 million.

For the current Barcelona hierarchy, the case is significant because it originated from the forensic review commissioned after Joan Laporta returned to the presidency. Years later, that investigation is still producing consequences, and once again, Barcelona are being forced to revisit decisions made during an era the club has spent considerable effort trying to leave behind.