Zimpapers Logo

MADRID. — Barcelona star Neymar and president Josep Maria Bartomeu will be called to give evidence this week in the murky case over the deal which brought the Brazilian to the Catalan giants from Santos in 2013. Bartomeu was due to attend Spain’s national court yesterday with Neymar to follow today. Sandro Rosell, Bartomeu’s predecessor who was president of the club when Neymar was signed, and the player’s parents have also been called to testify.

Public prosecutors filed for action to be taken against all the parties after a complaint of fraud and corruption was launched by the Brazilian investment fund DIS, which held 40 percent of Neymar’s sporting rights when he played at Santos.

DIS has claimed it was cheated of its real share of the benefits of the 23-year-old’s transfer because part of the transfer fee was concealed by Barcelona and Santos.

The deal was originally valued at 57.1 million euros by Barca, 40 million of which was paid to the N&N company owned by the player’s father with Santos receiving just 17.1 million.

However, Spanish judicial authorities have estimated the number of simultaneous deals in the transfer amounted to at least 83.3 million.

After hearing the testimony, a judge will decide whether the case will progress and charges be filled.

However, it is just one of a number of legal battles facing the club, whose reputation has been hit by a series of off-field scandals in recent times despite their continued success on the pitch.

In a separate lawsuit, a judge in May 2015 ordered Bartomeu, Rosell and the club itself to stand trial over alleged tax fraud linked to the signing.

The scandal over the concealed transfer fee led to Rosell’s resignation as president in January 2014 with then vice-president Bartomeu taking charge.

By splitting the fee between a number of different contracts between Santos and Neymar himself, Barcelona stand accused of defrauding the Spanish taxman of 12.7 million euros. — AFP.