Crisis at Camp Nou: Barcelona President Addresses Damaging Fraud Allegations

Published 3 weeks ago2 minute read
Uche Emeka
Uche Emeka
Crisis at Camp Nou: Barcelona President Addresses Damaging Fraud Allegations

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is currently facing a personal fraud case, having issued a formal statement to deny allegations of fraud. These allegations are linked to his past involvement with CF Reus Deportiu and its majority shareholder, CCSB Limited. This legal dispute has resurfaced in the period leading up to the Blaugrana's presidential elections, which are scheduled for March 2026.

The core of the case revolves around CCSB Limited, a Hong Kong–based investment company that acquired a reported 57% of CF Reus Deportiu's shares in 2016. This acquisition was part of a takeover intended to stabilize the club's finances. During the period between 2016 and 2018, when Reus competed in LaLiga SmartBank (Segunda División), Laporta's consultancy firm, Core Store SL, acted as a strategic and commercial advisor to the Reus ownership group. However, CF Reus Deportiu was eventually expelled from professional football in December 2018 due to its failure to meet financial obligations, which exceeded €5 million and included unpaid player wages and tax liabilities. The club subsequently entered liquidation in 2020.

The current complaint against Laporta was filed by Joan Oliver, a former executive at Reus and ex-CEO of Barcelona during Laporta’s initial presidency. Oliver alleges that Laporta misrepresented financial guarantees, commercial backing, and investment commitments, which ultimately led to losses for creditors and minority investors. Prosecutors are actively examining potential offenses such as fraud, misappropriation, and falsification of documents. Despite these investigations, no conviction has been handed down, and Laporta has consistently and categorically denied any wrongdoing. He maintains that he never held executive authority at Reus, never controlled club funds, and never served as a shareholder or board member.

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