Spanish football club Barcelona is currently facing an investigation over a €10 million payment connected to the signing of Brazilian player Malcom back in 2018. The authorities are looking into whether this payment was part of a plan to avoid paying taxes.
The investigation focuses on the club’s €42 million deal to bring Malcom from French club Bordeaux. At the center of the issue is a €10 million fee paid for “intermediation services” which investigators suspect may not have actually been provided, or were at least greatly overvalued. This has raised questions about the true purpose of the payment and its financial implications.
🧐 The Heart of the Investigation
Authorities are examining a €10 million payment made to a company called Business Futbol España (BFE). This payment was officially for “intermediation services” related to Malcom’s transfer. However, police reports suggest these services were either non-existent or their value was inflated. Investigators are trying to determine if this was a way to move money while avoiding tax obligations.
📝 How the Alleged Scheme Worked
It is believed that the payments, made between 2018 and 2020, were structured in a way to hide the club’s tax duties. Reports from the investigation indicate that Malcom’s original employment contract was modified. This change allegedly lowered his reported earnings, which in turn would have reduced the amount of tax the club needed to pay to the Treasury in connection with the transfer.
⚽ A Look Back at the Transfer
Malcom joined Barcelona from Bordeaux in a high-profile €42 million deal in 2018. The Brazilian winger’s time at the club was relatively short before he moved on to another team. The current investigation brings fresh attention to this transfer, focusing not on his performance on the field but on the financial details of the agreement that brought him to Spain.
