Barcelona president threatens to slap predecessor with legal action over club's finances

The financial crisis at FC Barcelona has been in the headlines all year. Fans felt the effects of the situation when Lionel Messi was forced to leave the club this summer, but the problem goes even deeper than that. Current president Joan Laporta has been left to untangle the mess, and he is now saying that he is considering taking legal action against his predecessor.

Former president Josep Maria Bartomeu was forced to leave the club with his entire board in tow in October last year, several months before their term officially ended. They left the club after being involved in numerous scandals including a feud with players that almost had Messi leaving the club in the summer of 2020.

The financial aspect of the problem is one that has been keeping Laporta up since he took over the presidency in March. "When we arrived, we could not pay the bills. It is what we have found. The situation that we have come into has been motivated by a grave deficiency in the previous management," he said.

According to Football Espana, he is not content to just receive a detailed audit of the club's finances.
"Our legal department will decide if they constitute a crime and the legal actions that may arise," he said, referring to the actions of the previous administration.

Laporta has been taking steps to fix the situation by slashing the wage bill and locking down young players on long-term deals. Several veterans have been asked to accept wage cuts and Barcelona have mostly opted for free transfers over the summer transfer window.

Nevertheless, the rebuilding project is something that will take many years to complete. "They are the worst accounts in the history of Barca, with a debt of €1.35 billion and losses in this period of €481 million," Laporta said, expressing his frustration about the situation.

Bartomeu has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that his board did not dip their hands into the till for their own personal gain. He is confident that Laporta's investigation will not lead to any criminal charges.