Laporta in dock over record Barca expenditure

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta and his management team are to be called before the courts to explain why they approved accounts last year which saw a loss of nearly 80 million euros for the club.

A vote by club members saw 486 agree to take legal action with 439 voting against and 113 invalid papers, the club said in a statement on Saturday.

“The management team that Joan Laporta oversaw until June 30 should answer for their actions before the courts,” the statement read.

Among those pushing that action be taken is Laporta’s former right hand man Sandro Rosell, who was elected club president in July, and has become one of his predecessor’s most outspoken critics.

Rosell termed the matter “the most important social decision in the history of the club,” adding that there was “nothing pleasant” about it.

Laporta and his team will be asked to explain certain payments, notably eight-million-euros paid to the agent of Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who signed for AC Milan during the summer.

Also being examined is 318,000 euros in sundry payments, including 53,000 euros spent by one of Laporta’s bodyguards using a club credit card.

The 53,000 included “non-justified bills from restaurants during the holiday period, bars, nightclubs etcetera,” according to accountancy firm KPMG.

The accounts for the 2009-2010 season, with losses of 79.6 million euros, were approved by an overwhelming majority with 964 votes for and 47 against.

Laporta was president from 2003-2010 a period during which they won two Champions League (2006, 2009) and four La Liga titles (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010).