Barcelona’s focus this season has been split between on-pitch progress and off-field distractions.
With Xavi’s legacy still casting a long shadow and the club’s financial restructuring continuing to make headlines, the Catalans are striving to maintain their identity amid transition.
Young talents like Lamine Yamal and Gavi continue to represent the club’s future, while veterans still embody the Barca DNA.
However, even legends from the club’s golden era are now finding themselves in unexpected controversies that have nothing to do with football.
Former Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, who Pedri has been compared to, has reportedly been accused of aggravated fraud in Peru, with authorities launching an investigation into failed sporting and entertainment events promoted under companies connected to the 2010 World Cup winner, as per Marca.
The Peruvian Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that a preliminary probe is underway after a formal complaint was filed by Gucho Entertainment S.A.C. and several local investors.
They claim to have collectively invested around $600,000 (£456,000) into projects linked to NSN Barcelona, a company chaired by Andres Iniesta, and its South American arm, NSN Sudamerica.
According to official reports, Iniesta’s global reputation was allegedly used to secure confidence from Peruvian businesspeople, encouraging them to invest in large-scale events such as international football friendlies and a K-pop festival.
Authorities have stated that many of the promised events were never realised.
The only event that actually took place, the Upa Upa Fest, reportedly suffered heavy financial losses.
That failure then triggered the cancellation of all subsequent commitments, including a planned legends match featuring former Spanish and Peruvian players and a friendly fixture between Cienciano and Nacional de Quito.
Investors claim that despite high-profile promotions, including Iniesta personally praising Peru’s sporting culture during NSN’s 2023 launch, they never received any financial return.
Many allege their funds were not reimbursed after the company’s collapse.
NSN Sudamerica has since been declared bankrupt and placed in liquidation, with no financial statements provided.
Andres Iniesta, along with Paul Valderrama Rubio and Carlos Gomez Pintor, has been named in the investigation, which seeks to uncover the whereabouts of the missing funds and identify potential corporate irregularities.
At this stage, Iniesta has not commented publicly on the allegations, and the case remains in its early investigative phase as prosecutors gather evidence and documentation.
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