The Barça football club, acting incognito, has attacked the environment most critical to its own sporting success through the company I3 Ventures, according to the radio network SER. It is alleged that FC Barcelona itself is paying the media firm to attack some of the club's own stars who are speaking out of turn: players like Gerard Piqué and Leo Messi, two of the leaders in the locker room, who are eager to bring about change at the club. And for that reason, says SER's sources, the club board is aiming to discredit them.
To attack Messi, the social media firm contracted by the club has gone after his wife. Alter Sports, one of the accounts that the I3 Ventures firm has allegedly used to target the Argentinian footballer, has focused on making cheap and unacceptable comments about Antonella Rocuzzo.
"Translation:
What a wild beast Messi has at home. They say things about her boy on social media and Antonella comes out to defend her kid like a lioness."
At the same time, another account linked to I3 Ventures launched criticism at Gerard Piqué. The Barça centre back's involvement in sports management - specifically, in the re-organization of the Davis Cup of tennis - was subject to some scorn in a message last November on the Facebook account of "Justice and Dialogue in Sport". In particular, the criticism is that Piqué, well-known for his strong Catalan identity, has sold out to Spanish interests.
"In Piqué's Magic Box, the atmosphere is very Spanish. The soccer player has put aside his more political vision in search of the success of his competition. Do you think he's done the right thing?", says the post.