How Barcelona came close to being scammed out of €1m from Robert Lewandowski's deal

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Photo: @FCBarcelona

An investigation by a team of journalists has revealed that a fraudster nearly made off with €1 million from the transfer of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona in 2022.

The story was uncovered in a joint probe by the Spanish radio station SER Catalunya, the German investigative newsroom Paper Trail Media (PTM), and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global body of investigative journalists.

According to this three-way alliance of investigators, the scam occurred in the summer of 2022 when Barcelona signed Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for a fee of €45 million.

Behind the scenes there has been a serious issue, with a fraudster using the big-money transfer as a way to try and con the Catalan giants.

READ MORE: Thai police warn Liverpool fans not to fall for Xabi Alonso scam

In the wake of the deal, several club directors and executives received an email from someone who said they were working with Lewandowski's agent, Pini Zahavi.

The email asked for €1 million as part of a commission for the transfer of the Polish striker.

The La Liga side obliged and paid the amount into a Cypriot bank account under the name of Michael Gerardus Hermanus Demon, described as a lawyer.

However after a few days, the Compliance department of the bank notified Barcelona of the unusual activity of the movement.

Suspicions arose due to the fact there were no previous transactions on the account, which had been opened that same month, and no documentation had been submitted justifying the payment.

READ MORE: Robert Lewandowski lifts lid on failed Man Utd move

Someone claiming to be Zahavi then contacted the bank on several occasions to demand the payment be unblocked, but staff at the financial institution could not be persuaded.

Barcelona then raised the issue with Zahavi, who confirmed he had no knowledge of the person involved and the bank froze the money.

The Cypriot bank were then able to intercept the transfer, and Barcelona got the money back into their account.

Whilst Barça retrieved the money, it does raise questions about the club's due diligence, and it certainly does not look project a good image for an administration already under fire for their financial management.

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