A court in Barcelona is investigating six former Sevilla FC players over their alleged involvement in the Shirtum crypto project, a case that reportedly caused investor losses exceeding €24 million. The criminal complaint alleges that the project used fake NFTs and token manipulation as part of the scheme.
The players named in the case are Papu Gómez, Lucas Ocampos, Ivan Rakitić, Nico Pareja, Alberto Moreno, and Javier Saviola. Two additional football figures, Diego Perotti and Marcelo Guedes, have also been linked to the promotion of the project. So far, 13 Spanish investors have filed a lawsuit claiming financial losses tied to Shirtum.
Allegations center on unminted football NFTs
According to the complaint, Shirtum was marketed as a digital football collectibles platform offering so-called “cinematic NFTs” priced at €450 each. Investors allege that these NFTs were never actually minted on any blockchain and could not be transferred, raising serious questions about whether the assets promoted by the project ever existed in the form advertised.
Missing BNB funds add to scrutiny
The case also focuses on fundraising tied to product development. The complaint says roughly €3 million worth of BNB was collected from investors for app development. However, the promised applications were never launched, and the funds have not been accounted for, according to the allegations now under review.
Based on the disclosed claims, the investigation is expected to examine whether Shirtum misled investors about the nature of its NFTs, whether the token-related activity was manipulative, and whether raised capital was used as promised. The case may also renew attention on the legal and compliance risks of celebrity promotion in crypto markets.