Barçagate

{{Short description|Spanish football scandal}}

{{distinguish|Negreira case}}

{{incomprehensible|date=March 2021}}

{{expand Catalan|topic=sport|date=February 2021}}

{{use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

File:Josep Maria Bartomeu 2014 (cropped).jpg president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2014]]

The I3 Ventures case, also known as Barçagate or Bartogate,{{cite news |title=Bartomeu es reuneix amb els capitans per donar explicacions per la polèmica del "Barçagate" |publisher=Esport3 |url=https://www.ccma.cat/esport3/bartomeu-es-reuneix-amb-els-capitans-per-donar-explicacions-per-la-polemica-del-barcagate/noticia/2991117/ |accessdate=20 February 2020 |date=19 February 2020}} was an alleged defamation campaign of FC Barcelona on social media uncovered on 17 February 2020 by journalists Adrià Soldevila and Sergi Escudero of the program Què T'hi Jugues of Cadena SER.{{cite news| first1=Debbie | last1=Escudero | first2=Sergi | last2=Adrià |title=El Barça tiene contratada una empresa que llegó a lanzar mensajes en las redes contra algunos de sus jugadores |publisher=Cadena SER |url=https://cadenaser.com/ser/2020/02/17/deportes/1581937137_018966.html |accessdate=19 February 2020 |date=17 January 2020}} The alleged defamation campaign involved hiring a company called I3Ventures.sl to create states of opinion on social media, through dozens of "unofficial" accounts of the club that would be dedicated to protecting the image of Josep Maria Bartomeu (president of the club at that time) who is accused of rigging football matches for FC Barcelona and at the same time also attacking people from different areas of the Barça environment.{{cite news |title=La SER ensenya les proves que demostren el vincle entre I3 Ventures i els comptes no oficials |publisher=L'Esportiu de Catalunya |url=https://www.lesportiudecatalunya.cat/barca/article/1741640-la-ser-ensenya-les-proves-que-demostren-el-vincle-entre-i3-ventures-i-els-comptes-no-oficials.html |accessdate=19 February 2020 |date=18 February 2020}} The alleged targets of the defamation campaign included players like Lionel Messi or Gerard Piqué, former players such as Xavi, Carles Puyol and Pep Guardiola, and also local figures such as Víctor Font (pre-candidate for the presidency of the club), Joan Laporta, Jaume Roures, as well as profiles of pro-independence organizations and political figures such as Quim Torra and Carles Puigdemont, Òmnium Cultural, the Assemblea Nacional Catalana, and the Democratic Tsunami.{{cite news |title=Els periodistes que han destapat el cas: "El Barça ens intenta fer pena perquè no publiquem" |publisher=EL MÓN A RAC1 |url=https://www.rac1.cat/esports/20200218/473646964379/i3-ventures-xarxes-barca-bartomeu-critica-messi-pique-xavi-guardiola-font-roures-laporta.html |accessdate=19 February 2020 |date=18 February 2020}}

Initially, Barça's board of directors denied hiring I3 Ventures for any social media campaigns aimed at enhancing the board's image or targeting other profiles.{{cite news |title=La SER aporta nuevas pruebas que vincula a I3 Ventures con las polémicas cuentas del Barça |publisher=La Vanguardia |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/fc-barcelona/20200218/473647141296/cadena-ser-pruebas-i3-ventures-polemicas-cuentas-barca.html |accessdate=19 February 2020 |date=18 February 2020}} On the day the case was published, club president Bartomeu announced the termination of the contract with I3 Ventures. He acknowledged that the contract, in place since 2017, was intended to monitor information published about the club on social media.{{cite news |title=El Barça rescinde el contrato con I3 Ventures al descubrir su vinculación con las cuentas difamatorias |publisher=La Vanguardia |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/fc-barcelona/20200218/473649822700/bartomeu-barcelona-i3-ventures-rescinde-contrato.html |accessdate=19 February 2020 |date=18 February 2020}}{{cite news |last=Rico |first=Miguel |title=El Barça liquidará el contrato con I3 Ventures |publisher=Mundo Deportivo |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20200218/473647919789/el-barca-liquidara-el-contrato-con-i3-ventures.html |accessdate=19 February 2020 |date=18 February 2020}}{{cite news|last1=López |first1= Marcos|last2=Domènech |first2= Joan|title=FC Barcelona rescinde contrato I3 Ventures por escándalo redes |publisher=El Periódico |url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/barca/20200218/fc-barcelona-rescinde-contrato-ventures-escandalo-difamaciones-redes-7853442 |accessdate=19 February 2020 |date=18 February 2020}}

On 1 March 2021, Catalan police raided club's offices in a search and seizure operation; in addition, Bartomeu, his adviser Jaume Masferrer, CEO Oscar Grau and head of legal services Roman Gomez Bonti were arrested.{{cite web |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/europe/2021/03/01/fc-barcelona-arrests-barcagate-stadium/6866680002/ |title=What we know about police raid at FC Barcelona's stadium in relation to 'Barçagate' |website=USA Today |date=1 March 2021 }} Bartomeu admitted that he hired I3 Ventures to improve Barcelona's image on social media, but denied that he intended to damage the reputation of individuals. The social media company had earned 980,000 euro for the campaign.{{cite web |url=https://en.as.com/en/2021/03/01/football/1614606914_111779.html |title=Barçagate: How much did Barcelona pay I3 Ventures for their social media campaign? |website=as.com |date=1 March 2021 }} On the same day, FC Barcelona had released a statement in which they declared that the information and documentation requested by the judicial police force related only to the case of "contacting of monitoring services on social networks".{{cite web |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/2049641/fc-barcelona-statement |title=FC Barcelona statement |website=FC Barcelona |date=1 March 2021 }}