[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media, legal professionals have leveled serious accusations in a formal complaint over the sponsorship agreement signed between FC Barcelona and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, arguing that the Catalan club failed to complete mandatory due diligence prior to signing the contract. The complaint itemises a string of past financial scandals linked to Congolese Sports Minister Didier Budimbu. These include a criminal conviction in Belgium for money laundering and fraud, alongside allegations of extortion and swindling. The legal team holds the view that Barcelona ought to have carried out rigorous background checks on such a controversial partner instead of rushing into the deal. Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona, previously defended the agreement, claiming it was framed under a peace accord, backed by compliance certifications, and designed to support young Congolese people via a charitable foundation. Nevertheless, the complaint refutes each of these arguments point by point, stressing that the so-called “compliance certifications” are not legally sufficient to substitute thorough enhanced due diligence.
The editor believes that the complaint stresses that Joan Laporta’s humanitarian arguments only reveal the club’s awareness of the problematic nature of its contractual partner. Meanwhile, his reference to the “peace accord” further reinforces suspicions that the agreement has been politicised and exploited for political ends.