Overview

• Reports citing El Periodico and Catalan police allege Barcelona routed €10 million to Business Futbol Espana for a nonexistent service tied to Malcom’s signing.
• Investigators contend the payment coincided with an alteration of the player’s contract that lowered the club’s declared income and reduced Treasury obligations.
• Spanish authorities have opened inquiries into the operation, with no sanctions announced and the potential focus on individuals or the club not yet defined.
• Former president Josep Maria Bartomeu features among figures under scrutiny as part of broader probes into transactions from his tenure.
• Barcelona paid roughly €42 million to sign Malcom from Bordeaux in 2018, with the forward departing after one season before subsequent moves to Zenit and Al Hilal.