According to several reports in the Catalan media, former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been arrested by the police for his involvement in a series of smear campaigns over the past year. The highly unpopular executive's resignation earlier this season was widely celebrated by the Barcelona fanbase and his recent arrest has now sent the Twitterati into a frenzy.Bartomeu is widely regarded as the individual responsible for Barcelona's steady economic and sporting decline over the past few years. The Barcelona official shunned calls for elections on several occasions and his financial mismanagement has given his successor a series of long-term problems to solve. Suffice to say, fans of the Catalan giants are chuffed to bits with the possibility of impending justice.BREAKING: Ex-Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has been arrested today, reports @el_pais 🚨The arrest is reportedly in relation to the "Barcagate" scandal in which the club allegedly hired a social media company to publicly discredit players and staff pic.twitter.com/VU4UzTtM8y— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 1, 2021Have you ever celebrated your own club's president get arrested?Barcelona fans did it twice 🥳— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) March 1, 2021Messi scoring against Sevilla midweek, revealing a police shirt underneath. Make it happen!— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) March 1, 2021Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, CEO Oscar Grau and Head of Legal Roman Gómez Ponti have all been arrested by Spanish police this morning.Leo Messi right now: pic.twitter.com/m1K3kxDYsM— Football Tweet (@Football__Tweet) March 1, 2021Waking up to find that Bartomeu has been arrested pic.twitter.com/fvpkWsKlUE— TalkFCB © (@talkfcb_) March 1, 2021SOMEONE NEEDS TO LITERALLY CATCH BARTOMEU IN 4K I NEED TO SEE THAT MAN IN CUFFS LOOKING DEPRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE— Mica (@Mica32x) March 1, 2021Bartomeu ex president of Barcelona has been arrested.... Let's go 🔥Let's vibe pic.twitter.com/0S1YvydxvJ— 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕝 🇳🇱 (@MFKraan) March 1, 2021BREAKING: Bartomeu has been detained! pic.twitter.com/gbpL2qijyI— 1хBet (@1xBet_Eng) March 1, 2021Bartomeu arrest prompts merciless applause from Barcelona fanbaseReports from Catalan journalists state that Josep Maria Bartomeu has been arrested for his involvement in the infamous BarcaGate scandal. The former president has been accused of working with third-party social media companies to run smear campaigns against some of Barcelona's biggest names.Lionel Messi has also reportedly been a target of Bartomeu's campaign to discredit his own players and the former president has received widespread backlash as a result. Fellow Barcelona officials Oscar Grau and Ramon Gomez Ponti have also been arrested in connection to the scandal.Gerard Pique, in particular, has been vocal about his relationship with Bartomeu on the several occasions in the past. The veteran Barcelona defender is known to be blunt in the press and his statements indicate that the squad was deeply unhappy with the scandal."What relationship do you have with Bartomeu?"🗣️ Piqué: "I don't want to get along badly with anyone, but there have been things… The social media scandal for example. The club has spent money, money that they're now asking us for, to criticize...(1/3 - October 2020) pic.twitter.com/K3m1ilbwOn— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) March 1, 2021Bartomeu getting arrested, circa 2021 colorized. pic.twitter.com/lGWD8fGa0g— Jordi (@FormulaJordi) March 1, 2021❗Police went to Camp Nou to search the Barcelona offices for the “Barçagate”, that crisis of the company hired to monitor social networks. Josep Maria Bartomeu, Oscar Grau (club CEO) and Gomez Ponti, former Barcelona legal director, were arrested. pic.twitter.com/UB37Pjy6lt— Marcel (@marcellktsr) March 1, 2021Looool #Bartomeu and two members of the board arrested. #Barca pic.twitter.com/0mSKmp6PBL— Saul Nero (@saulnero) March 1, 2021I like to imagine that one of the police officers arresting Bartomeu whispered to him “This is for Messi.”— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) March 1, 2021Lionel Messi has been at loggerheads with the former Barcelona president for much of the past year and Bartomeu's arrest may well have ramifications for the Argentine's future at the club.Bartomeu, Masferrer, Grau and Gomez in Catalan police stations right now pic.twitter.com/la3SyFIRrd— Richard Buxton (@RichardBuxton_) March 1, 2021Bartomeu and other Barca executives being arrested over Barcagate is pretty sensational, and obviously hugely serious for them personally. Dunno if it makes much difference for club / next president / Messi future tho.— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) March 1, 2021NEW RECORD: FC Barcelona has set a new record for the most club presidents arrested [2] among European clubs. pic.twitter.com/BEOwhxI6z6— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) March 1, 2021Messi watching Bartomeu being brought out https://t.co/FOKxRLbrnI pic.twitter.com/Il3xaNQJdD— ‎ ً (@seblcfc) March 1, 2021Lionel Messi in 2021:1️⃣4️⃣ Games1️⃣4️⃣ Goals4️⃣ Assists1️⃣ arrest(Bartomeu) #barcagate #Bartomeu #Barcelona pic.twitter.com/tR310uJDMN— Çlirim Qeriqi (@CQeriqi) March 1, 2021Barcelona will hold elections for a new president in the coming weeks and with Joan Laporta, Victor Font, and Toni Freixa involved, news of the arrest will certainly add some colour to an intriguing election race.Laporta’s reckoning has begun 🔥— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) March 1, 2021Dear @JoanLaportaFCB After living under frauds and thieves for a decade.We deserve better.... pic.twitter.com/zcQjldY7gr— Hari (@HariPranesh15) March 1, 2021Barto arrested. Freixa exposed. Elections in less than a week. Laporta dominant. Barca won a big game.We're slowly coming back.— Umer Khalil (@Umer515K) March 1, 2021"Have your guys take a close look at Bartomeu. Thanks, Leo!" pic.twitter.com/JxWYvFTDZe— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) March 1, 2021Barcelona are currently in second place in the La Liga standings and have a mountain to climb to win silverware this season. The Catalan giants have shown signs of a positive transition under Ronald Koeman but still have plenty of work to do to restore their former glory.Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona also hangs in the balance and the new president will have to make the Argentine an impressive offer. With Bartomeu's arrest, however, fans are hopeful that one of the darkest chapters in the club's illustrious history can finally be put to rest.Also Read: Barcelona vs Sevilla prediction, preview, team news and more | Copa del Rey 2020-21