Former Barcelona Players Caught Up in €3m Crypto Fraud Scandal Rocking La Liga

Ex-Barcelona Stars Among Six La Liga Players Accused in €3m Cryptocurrency Scam Investigation

A cloud of controversy has settled over Spanish football this week as six La Liga players—including former Barcelona stars Ivan Rakitic and Javier Saviola—have been named in an ongoing investigation into an alleged €3 million cryptocurrency and NFT fraud. The claims centre around a now-defunct tech project known as “Shirtum Europa,” which reportedly lured investors with the promise of high returns using the image and reputations of well-known footballers.

According to a report by El Periódico, twelve individuals have come forward, claiming they were misled into investing large sums into a scheme that never materialised. The players involved—Rakitic, Saviola, Nico Pareja, Alejandro “Papu” Gomez, Lucas Ocampos and Alberto Moreno—are not accused of orchestrating the scam, but their high-profile backing of the project through promotional content and social media has drawn them into the spotlight.

Shirtum Europa: A Dream That Never Took Off

Barcelona Argentinian Javier Saviola cel

At the heart of the controversy lies Shirtum Europa, a company that promised to revolutionise the way fans interact with footballers. The pitch? A cutting-edge app where users could purchase exclusive NFTs (non-fungible tokens) linked to personal stories, memorabilia, and experiences from top football players.

Investors were told that Shirtum had created its own cryptocurrency and that buyers could get in early, purchasing NFTs—each priced around €450—before the project went fully mainstream. These NFTs, tied to the likenesses and content of the players, were supposed to gain value as the platform expanded.

But the dream was short-lived.

Not only did the app never launch as advertised, but those behind the project reportedly disappeared with the funds soon after the initial investments were collected. What remains now is a pile of unpaid promises, vanishing capital, and a growing list of angry investors demanding accountability.

Familiar Faces, Serious Questions

The involvement of well-known players like Rakitic and Saviola has added fuel to an already combustible situation. Both men had enjoyed significant success with Barcelona during their playing careers—Rakitic as a key member of the club’s midfield during their 2015 Champions League triumph, and Saviola as one of the most talked-about young signings of the early 2000s.

Their names—and those of the other players—were reportedly used in the marketing materials of Shirtum, featured both within the proposed app and across social media channels. Promotional videos, posts, and public endorsements painted a picture of an exciting, legitimate project with major backing from inside the football world.

However, sources close to the players insist they were unaware of any fraudulent activity. It’s believed that many of them were approached to simply lend their image rights to a product they thought was a genuine business venture—one among many in the growing market of athlete-backed tech start-ups.

The Businessmen Behind the Scheme

While the players are now dealing with the reputational fallout, the focus of the investigation is squarely on the businesspeople alleged to have orchestrated the scam. Names identified in the complaint include Rozencwaig, Manel Ángel Torras, Marc Alberto Torras, and Manuel Morillas. These individuals are said to have been the masterminds behind the Shirtum platform, its cryptocurrency, and the ill-fated NFT campaign.

According to the ongoing probe, the group created the digital infrastructure for the project and marketed it aggressively using the players’ public profiles to attract investment. But instead of developing the app and fulfilling their obligations, they allegedly engaged in asset stripping, tax evasion, and ultimately disappeared once the funds were secured.

The twelve complainants, who are said to have lost a combined €3 million, have filed charges of fraud, misappropriation of funds, and money laundering. The full extent of the scam is still being uncovered, and Spanish authorities are expected to dig deeper into the finances of those involved.

NFTs, Crypto, and the Footballer Investment Trap

This isn’t the first time high-profile footballers have found themselves associated with failed or controversial crypto projects. In recent years, the world of cryptocurrency has seen a boom in sports partnerships—many of which turned sour. From club-sponsored fan tokens to individual player NFT collections, the lack of regulation has made it a Wild West for both investors and athletes.

Footballers, often approached as influencers or ambassadors, can easily become involved in ventures without fully understanding the technical or legal risks. In the case of Shirtum, it’s likely that some players were offered financial incentives or future stake options for participating—without ever seeing the full business plan or doing due diligence on the operators.

There’s now growing pressure on football’s governing bodies and player associations to better educate athletes about investment risks, particularly in the rapidly evolving and volatile crypto market.

What’s Next for Those Involved?

For the players, this is likely to be a reputational headache more than a legal one—unless prosecutors find evidence that they had prior knowledge of the scheme’s fraudulent intentions. As of now, there is no public indication that Rakitic, Saviola or the others played any direct role in the scam’s organisation.

The businessmen at the centre of the scandal, however, face a much more serious legal battle. Spanish prosecutors are exploring multiple charges, including fraud, tax offences, and money laundering, as they attempt to trace the missing funds and identify other potential victims.

For the wider footballing world, this saga serves as a timely warning: not all that glitters in the crypto world is gold. The combination of star power, emerging tech, and financial hype can be dangerously alluring—but also devastating when it all comes crashing down.

As investigations continue, fans and investors alike will be watching closely to see what accountability—if any—is brought to those who turned a dream project into a financial nightmare.