Barcelona threaten lawsuit on report of presidential agenda in signing Paulinho

Published on: 16 August 2017

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde defends the club's purchase of Paulinho, and what he brings to strengthen the squad.

Barcelona have threatened legal action against a media outlet which published a story accusing club president Josep Maria Bartomeu of signing Paulinho as part of a deal to favour his own company's interests.

Brazil midfielder Paulinho joined Barca from Guangzhou Evergrande earlier this week for €40 million, a record amount for an outgoing transfer from the Chinese Super League.

The surprise move led to a report from an unidentified outlet claiming Bartomeu had pushed the transfer through in an attempt to curry favour with the Evergrande Group, Guangzhou's owners.

However, Barca strongly refuted that claim on Wednesday, saying in a statement: "The club have requested a retraction from the authors of the article as well as to the media outlet that published the story.

"Given the false nature of this news story and the fact that it implies illegal activity has taken place, if a retraction is not forthcoming both the club and the president as an individual will take the corresponding legal steps. These steps will include a specific request for damages incurred with regards to the image of the club."

Barca were also forced to discredit an online campaign calling for Bartomeu to resign which grew following the signing of Paulinho.

Paulinho is set for a move to Barcelona from the Chinese Super League for a fee of â‚¬40 million.

The hashtag #BartomeuDimissio (#BartomeuResign) became a worldwide trending topic earlier this week as the club's supporters turned on their president, citing the transfer as the latest in a long line of questionable decisions by the club's board, who are coming under increasing pressure.

Former president Joan Laporta says Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell have ruined the club, while Agusti Benedito, who ran in the club's 2015 election, hopes to get enough support to launch a vote of no confidence against the board in September.

"The online campaign which the president has suffered over the last few days, designed to smear his reputation, demands a collective reflection," said club spokesman Josep Vives.

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