Barcelona orders investigation after admitting $4 million spent on 'espionage'

Barcelona orders investigation after admitting $4 million spend on 'espionage'

Spanish giants Barcelona has confirmed around four million dollars were spent on espionage between 2008-2010, and the Catalan club would also internally investigate claims that the club had commissioned detective agencies to spy on a number of their star players.

The money went to the now defunct Metodo 3 agency and another company called the Intelligence Bureau and Cyber Experience, CNN.com reports.

Barcelona said that legal action would be taken to preserve the image of the club, the privacy of its employees and the legacy of the institution.

Spokesman Toni Freixa added Barcelona wants to know who was spied on and why

The alleged activities took place under the presidency of Joan Laporta, who was at the helm from 2003-2010, one of the most successful spells for the famous Spanish club, the paper said.

Reports on a Spanish website El Confidencial, claimed Metodo 3 trailed defender Gerard Pique and his pop star wife Shakira in 2010 following them to a concert to log their activities, the paper added.

Former stars Samuel Eto'o and Brazil's Ronaldinho were also believed to have been monitored in the past, the paper reported. (ANI)