Cyber Incident Victim: FC Barcelona
Date:
Feb 2014
Location:
Spain
Summary
FC Barcelona's official Twitter accounts were compromised by hackers affiliated with the Syrian Electronic Army, a group supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, following a Champions League match. The attackers posted messages condemning the club's sponsorship ties to Qatar Airways, alleging Qatari funds were linked to regional conflict, and included a link to their propaganda before taunting rival Real Madrid. The unauthorized posts remained visible for approximately 20 minutes across multiple language accounts, mirroring previous SEA cyber operations against major media and technology organizations.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On February 19, 2014, following FC Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City, the club's official Twitter accounts in English, Catalan, and Castilian were compromised by hackers identifying as the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA). The SEA, a collective supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, posted messages criticizing Barcelona's sponsorship relationship with Qatar Airways. The attackers specifically referenced Qatar's regional proximity to Syria, which was experiencing civil conflict, alleging the sponsorship funds were "full of blood and kill." The identical message appeared across all three language-specific accounts simultaneously, accompanied by a hyperlink to the SEA's online platform. This coordinated attack occurred during a period of heightened visibility following a major sporting event, maximizing exposure of the political statement.
The compromised tweets remained visible on Barcelona's accounts for approximately 20 minutes before club administrators successfully removed them. Prior to deletion, the hackers appended a final message taunting Barcelona's rival club with "Special hi to Real Madrid." The incident represented another high-profile breach by the SEA, which had previously targeted major media organizations including The Guardian, CNN, Forbes, and The Washington Post, as well as technology companies such as Skype, PayPal, and Viber. While the attack temporarily disrupted Barcelona's official communications channels, no additional operational impacts to club systems or further data compromises were documented in available reporting. The SEA's actions focused exclusively on leveraging Barcelona's global platform to disseminate political messaging regarding Qatar's role in the Syrian conflict, rather than financial theft or persistent system access.