Barcelona President Accused of Fraud, Lawsuit Filed—Report

A lawsuit claims Joan Laporta scammed an investor for a significant amount back in 2016.

Joan Laporta (middle) is in the eye of the storm once again. / Alberto Paredes/Europa Press/Getty Images

Joan Laporta and other Barcelona officers will have to testify in court to answer for an accusation that alleges the Barcelona president scammed an investor out of €91,500 ($107,500) in 2016.

The lawsuit revolves around an investor that payed €104,000 ($122,260) in advance, expecting to recover the investment at a 6% interest rate. So far, only €12,500 ($14,700) have been paid back to the investor, per AS.

Laporta isn’t the only prominent Barcelona figure involved in the scandal. Club vice president Rafael Yuste and former Barça directors Xavier Sala i Martín and Joan Oliver will join Laporta when they have to appear at the city’s court on Jan. 16, 2026.

At the time, Laporta and co. were connected with two companies the legal case revolves around: Core Store in Spain and CSSB Limited in Hong Kong. Laporta finished his first tenure as Barcelona president in 2010 and returned to the club in 2021; therefore, the club isn’t part of the lawsuit.

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Why is Barcelona President Joan Laporta Being Accused of Fraud?

Joan Laporta isn’t a stranger to controversies. / Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

According to the lawsuit, the investor loaned €50,000 ($58,800) to Core Store, which had a strategic plan to help third division side Reus Deportiu get promotion to Spain’s second division in 2016. The investor loaned another €54,000 ($63,500) to CSSB Limited, as the company aimed to create a soccer academy in China that replicated Barcelona’s famous La Masia.

As previously mentioned, after plenty of demands alleging a breach of contract, the lawsuit claims only €12,500 ($14,700) of the original investment were paid back in 2024.

Reus Deportiu did secure promotion to La Liga 2 in 2016, but the lawsuit claims the loan wasn’t repaid as stipulated. La Liga then expelled Reus from the competition in 2019 due to their continuous failure to pay player salaries. The club went into bankruptcy shortly after.

The 2025 documentary Laporta Gate - The Case of Reus 2 detailed a number of other similar alleged frauds committed by the current Barcelona president during that period of time. Upon seeing this documentary, the plaintiff of this particular case decided to take legal action, per AS.

Laporta’s public reputation and the background of the people connected with Core Store and CSSB Limited made investment on the companies project attractive at the time. Now, this is the third legal case Laporta is the target of for his involvement with said companies.

It’s likely the legal case will take some time to reach a verdict, but for Laporta, it’s an unwanted sideshow entering a year in which he intends to run for re-election as Barcelona president.

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