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Barcelona charged over tax fraud in Neymar signing

By on February 20, 2014

Barcelona have been charged over tax fraud by a Spanish court over Neymar’s highly controversial move to the Catalan giants which has already cost Barcelona president Sandro Rosell his job.  The transfer has been shrouded in mystery since Barcelona’s president Rosell resigned from his post almost a month ago following accusations of the club’s misappropriation of funds paid to Neymar’s family for the transfer, and now the club could be facing alleged fraud charges in the millions of euros for their wrongdoings.

Barcelona claimed they paid €57.1 million for the Brazilian starlet, but further investigation, taking place following a complaint by a club member, had lead to the discovery that the Spanish champions had paid a total over nearly €30 million more than they said in various payments to Neymar’s family and a company owned by the winger.  Rosell’s replacement Josep Bartomeu, revealed the deal was actually worth €86.2 million, which would make it a club record signing, and an illegal one.  A Madrid court spokesman said on the charges: “Judge Pablo Ruz has charged FC Barcelona with an infringement against the tax authority relating to the purchase of the Brazilian player.”

Judge Pablo Ruz has also requested to see Barcelona’s tax records for Neymar’s transfer to help reveal the size of the fraud, even though Barca have denied any wrongdoing involving the transfer, releasing a statement saying: “The club’s actions have, at all times, regarding that operation [to sign Neymar] and in line with the available information, been fully compliant with existing law.”

Meanwhile, Neymar’s former club Santos are considering to take legal action to force Barcelona to hand over the contract Neymar signed with the Blaugrana in order to see what amount of money they are entitled too over the fraud.  Yet Neymar has denounced his former club for this, saying on his official Instagram page: “I am sick and tired of this … I’ve had enough of all this talk.  I am a fan of my dad for having put me where I am, and if he makes millions from that, what’s the big deal? He worked for it, it didn’t just fall in his lap.”

Neymar, who is in the middle of a fantastic first season for Barcelona, in which he has already scored 12 goals in 28 club appearances, added. “Enough is enough. Sorry, Santos fans, but my love for the club won’t change because of ‘one or two people’.”

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.