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The evidence that suggests Barcelona paid for anti-Messi social media posts

The local media has unearthed evidence that they say proves the FC Barcelona board is ultimately behind a secret social media campaign which attacked, among others, current stars Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué.

Other posts targeted club icons like Pep Guardiola, Xavi Hernández and Carles Puyol, while others went after presumptive nominees for club president such as Víctor Font, Joan Laporta, and Agustí Benedito, as well as local political and business leaders.

The campaign’s goal, it seems, was to defend club president Josep Maria Bartomeu and attack whoever was being an inconvenience to him. It was overseen by I3 Ventures, a company that received almost a million euros from the Catalan club.