Barcelona confirmed it will take a complaint to Spain's Anti-Violence Committee for Sport about Málaga President Abdullah Al-Thani after he tweeted, "Catalan scum will not get a whiff of the title," according to Samuel Marsden of ESPN.com. Al-Thani's comments came on Tuesday and "were provoked by the reaction which had followed comments" made by Málaga Manager Michel, whose side will host Real Madrid -- Barça's "title rivals" -- on the final day of the season. An official Barcelona statement said, "FC Barcelona expresses its rejection of and indignation towards the contents of a tweet published by the president of Malaga CF, Abdullah Al-Thani, with sentiments that attack the principles of fair play, of ethics and the legality that should govern sporting competition." The "Spanish media later reported a claim from Al-Thani that he was referring to the Catalan media rather than to Barcelona." A statement in Arabic on Al-Thani's Twitter account reportedly said, "These words were directed toward the Catalan press, who said that Michel would throw the game. It is unacceptable, we don't throw games. They should plead forgiveness for the things they have said about him" (ESPN.com, 4/27). The London INDEPENDENT reported Michel, a "lifelong Real Madrid fan" who played for the club for 14 years and remains friends with Owner Florentino Pérez, was asked "about the time another ex-Madrid player, Jorge Valdano, had coached his team, Tenerife, to a final-day win" over Real Madrid that handed Barcelona the championship. Michel: "I'm much more of a Madrid fan than Valdano was" (INDEPENDENT, 4/27).
BARTOMEU TO STAND TRIAL: The EFE reported the Spanish National Court confirmed that Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu "will be summoned to a trial" centered on corruption in football "due to his involvement in the club's signing of Neymar." Section Four of the Criminal Chamber "rejected Bartomeu's appeal against the allegations and he will now appear in court" (EFE, 4/27).