AS: 450 Barcelona members punished for ticket forgery, appeal rejected

According to a report by AS, the Civil Chamber of the Spanish Supreme Court rejected the appeal filed by approximately 450 members of the Barcelona club, after the High Court of Barcelona Province had upheld the club's decision to penalize these members.

The report states that the incident dates back to 2018, when some members lent their personal season tickets to create fake tickets. Unscrupulous individuals embedded QR codes in these fake tickets and then sold them at high prices through online and social media platforms.

The Supreme Court held that the actions of the members involved violated the club's statutes, and the related penalties were justified, as these actions caused substantial and reputational damage to the club and other members. The penalties were imposed in accordance with relevant provisions of the club's statutes, determining that the members participated in organized season ticket reselling for fraudulent profit, and that the lenders were also responsible for the violations committed by the users.

The court stated that the penalty process was compliant, and the members involved had received prior notice of the alleged violations and had the right to make statements and defenses, and the penalty decision was well-reasoned. The penalized members will have their membership suspended for a maximum of 18 months, and some will be directly expelled from the club.