Football: Partnership between DR Congo and Barcelona faces controversies

Faced with the storm of criticism raised by the trade agreement between FC Barcelona and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joan Lelly took the floor this Tuesday. Between financial needs and humanitarian commitments, the President of the Barça tries to justify a contract that places the club and the Congolese Ministry of Sports at the heart of tensions.


The other side of the coin. Since the formalization of a partnership estimated at 40 million euros with the DR Congo for a sponsorship jersey, FC Barcelona is in the spotlight, and not for its sporting performances. Many human rights organisations and observers in the Great Lakes region question the relevance of such an alliance. At issue: the security situation in eastern DRC and the use of massive public funds for a European-style "sportswashing" operation.

The humanitarian argument shielded from criticism
For Joan Lelly, this contract is not just a simple financial transaction to replenish the coffers of a club still recovering financially. He sees it as a lever for social development, particularly to counter the scourge of miners' work in cobalt and coltan deposits.

The president of Barça clarifies the club’s position:

“This is being done in the context of a peace treaty between Congo and Rwanda. They are paying us 40 million euros, it’s an excellent operation. We have the certifications that ensure these operations are of total integrity. They pay us and we offer via the foundation opportunities to young people in Congo so that they do not go work in inhuman conditions in gold mines or minerals for phones. We must act, we are doing things with the foundation for the training of these young people. These programs work very well. I totally hear the criticisms about Congo, and when we see that this peace treaty is not going in the right direction, I understand them, but there is a context.”

Between diplomacy and financial pragmatism
Lelly’s evocation of a "peace treaty" refers to complex diplomatic processes (notably those in Luanda and Nairobi) aimed at stabilizing relations between Kinshasa and Kigali, while the DRC regularly accuses its neighbor of supporting the M23 rebellion.

By associating its image with the DRC, FC Barcelona is walking on eggshells. If the club highlights the role of its Foundation in providing education to Congolese children, critics recall that 40 million euros represent a colossal sum which, directly injected into local infrastructure, could have a more immediate impact than the flocking of a logo on training equipments in Catalonia. 

The partnership Monaco - DRC throws a chill
A context of suspicion regarding the use of these funds, while another partnership established by the DRC with AS Monaco is in the sights of the financial prosecutor’s office in France. Congolese citizens residing in France have taken legal action before the Monegasque courts on suspicion of money laundering, leading to an investigation by the Monaco Public Prosecutor’s Office. What to see in it a similar outcome with the Catalans in the future? The club wants to be reassuring and ensures its transparency in this operation.

For  Barcelona management, the challenge is twofold: to meet a vital need for liquidity while preserving the slogan "Más que un club" (More than a club). President relies on the transparency of integrity 'certifications' to reassure members. It remains to be seen whether the humanitarian argument will suffice to extinguish the controversy, while the situation on the ground in Central Africa remains extremely volatile.

The hearing of the club’s ethics commission, scheduled in the coming days, could provide further details on the exit clauses of this contract if the political situation were to worsen.