Barcelona President Faces Explosive Fraud Allegations as Legal Battle Erupts
Joan Laporta and several other Barcelona executives must appear in court to face allegations that the Barcelona president defrauded an investor of €91,500 ($107,500) back in 2016.
The legal dispute centers on an investor who paid €104,000 ($122,260) upfront, anticipating a return on investment at 6% interest. To date, only €12,500 ($14,700) has been repaid to the investor, according to AS.
Laporta is not the sole high-profile Barcelona official implicated in this controversy. Club vice president Rafael Yuste and former Barça board members Xavier Sala i Martín and Joan Oliver will accompany Laporta when they must appear before the municipal court on Jan. 16, 2026.
During that period, Laporta and his associates were linked to two entities central to this legal matter: Core Store based in Spain and CSSB Limited headquartered in Hong Kong. Laporta concluded his initial presidency at Barcelona in 2010 and resumed his role at the club in 2021; consequently, the club is not named in this lawsuit.
Why is Barcelona President Joan Laporta Being Accused of Fraud?
Based on the lawsuit, the investor provided €50,000 ($58,800) to Core Store, which had developed a strategic initiative to assist third-tier club Reus Deportiu in achieving promotion to Spain's second division in 2016. The investor also contributed €54,000 ($63,500) to CSSB Limited, as this entity planned to establish a football academy in China modeled after Barcelona's renowned La Masia.
As noted earlier, despite numerous requests citing contract violations, the lawsuit states that only €12,500 ($14,700) of the initial investment was returned in 2024.
Reus Deportiu successfully earned promotion to La Liga 2 in 2016, however the lawsuit maintains the loan was not repaid according to the agreement. La Liga subsequently removed Reus from the league in 2019 due to their persistent inability to meet player wage obligations. The club entered bankruptcy proceedings soon thereafter.
The 2025 documentary Laporta Gate - The Case of Reus 2 exposed numerous other similar alleged fraudulent activities by the current Barcelona president during that timeframe. After viewing this documentary, the complainant in this specific case chose to pursue legal action, according to AS.
Laporta's public standing and the credentials of individuals associated with Core Store and CSSB Limited made investing in these company projects appealing at that time. Currently, this marks the third legal proceeding targeting Laporta for his connection to these entities.
The legal proceedings will likely require considerable time before reaching a conclusion, but for Laporta, it represents an unwelcome distraction as he enters a year when he plans to seek re-election as Barcelona president.