Police storms FC Barcelona headquarters

According to people close to the club, the police officers are carrying out an inspection. Yet exact details of what they're looking for have not yet emerged.

According to the initial 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.

Among the arrested are former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the current chief executive Òscar Grau, and Barcelona’s head of legal services, Román Gómez Pontí.

These officials were arrested on suspicion of “unfair administration, corruption and money laundering.

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

The club has also dig-in political turmoil and debt provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foray comes less than a week before presidential elections are to be held at the club.

Futbol Club Barcelona, commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça, is a Spanish professional football club based in Barcelona, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.