I3 Ventures case
2017 CE.
Shown on the map at 41.383°, 2.177°.
The I3 Ventures case, also known as Barçagate or Bartogate, was a social media defamation campaign allegedly conducted by the leadership of FC Barcelona against a number of figures associated with the club. The allegations were revealed on 17 February 2020 by journalists Adrià Soldevila and Sergi Escudero on the radio show Què T'hi Jugues on Cadena SER. The alleged defamation campaign involved hiring social media company I3 Ventures SL to manipulate public opinion online, carried out through dozens of unofficial accounts associated with the club, in order to protect the image of Josep Maria Bartomeu – then-president of the club – and to attack other prominent figures both within the club and in Catalan public life more broadly. Alleged targets of the defamation campaign included then-active players including Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué, former players such as Xavi, Carles Puyol and Pep Guardiola, and other influential figures in the club's management including Víctor Font (a potential rival for the presidency of the club), Joan Laporta and Jaume Roures.
Text from the Wikipedia article Barçagate, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.