Barcelona announced an internal investigation Tuesday after reports in Spain claimed that the club had commissioned detective agencies to spy on a number of their star players.
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The Catalan giants confirmed on their official website that the club spent a total of 3.1 million euros ($4.04 million) on "espionage" between 2008 and 2010.
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The money went to the now defunct Metodo 3 agency and another company called the Intelligence Bureau and Cyber Experience.
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Barcelona said that "legal action will be taken to preserve the image of the club, the privacy of its employees and the legacy of the institution."