FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been ordered to stand trial after being accused of fraud, according to a report by Spanish daily AS, which has subjected the club’s top management to renewed legal scrutiny.
The investigation stems from a complaint filed by a woman who claims she invested nearly €100,000 in two companies directly linked to Laporta. According to the complaint, the funds were allegedly not managed in accordance with agreed terms, leading to legal action.
Spanish judicial authorities have set January 16 as the date for Laporta to appear in court. The Barcelona president will not be the only senior club figure under investigation. Vice President Rafael Yuste, along with former directors Xavier Sala i Martne and Joan Oliver, were also subpoenaed to testify in the same proceedings.
According to AS, Laporta and Yuste have been formally charged in connection with an alleged fraud case from 2016 involving an amount of 91,500 euros. The case is currently being handled by the Instructional Court No. 22 in Barcelona, which has ordered all four individuals to appear as suspects.
Court documents accessed by Spanish news agency EFE confirm that the lawsuit has been formally accepted. The case centers on alleged irregularities involving two companies – Spain-based Core Store and CSSB Limited – both of which were linked to the accused persons at the time the events occurred.
The origins of the case date back to mid-2016, when the complainant allegedly invested €50,000 in the form of a loan through a private banking intermediary. The loan had an interest rate of 6% and was directed to the Core Store. This company presented a project aimed at supporting Reus Deportivo in its ambition to advance from Segunda División B to Segunda División.
In addition to the loan, the investor is said to have paid an additional €54,000 to acquire shares in CSSB Limited. The investment was reportedly intended to finance the development of a football training academy in China, modeled after Barcelona’s famous La Masia youth system.
Importantly, the report notes that this is not an isolated legal matter involving Laporta. This is understood to be the third open case of the Barcelona president being investigated over alleged fraud linked to his involvement with Core Store and CSSB Limited, further complicating the legal background surrounding one of European football’s most prominent club managers.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
December 30, 2025
