Barcelona are ready to appeal against the ruling by a Spanish judge that Neymar and other members of the club will have to face trial on corruption charges. On Monday, Judge Jose de la Mata of Spain's Supreme Court said that Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell should stand trial alongside Neymar.
The case was brought about by Brazilian investment group DIS, which filed a complaint claiming £30million, which the group feels they were denied rightfully as part of the 24-year old's transfer rights.
In the complaint, they have furthered claimed that they were due 40 percent of the transfer fee and the compensation they received was a deviation from the sum promised. Neymar joined Barcelona from Santos for a fee believed to be in the region of around €57.1 million, but since the transfer fee was allegedly concealed, DIS feels it has been cheated out of the deal.
In fact according to the prosecutors, the investment group DIS is entitled to an additional €3.2 million ($3.6 million), which they believe is the rightful sum as records have now revealed that Santos received a sum of €25.1 million ($28 million) as transfer fee for the Brazilian instead of the earlier quoted figure of €17.1 million ($19 million).
Barcelona response
The ongoing case has been going on for the past few months after the case was reopened in September. Initially, it was dismissed in July before the Spanish Supreme Court ordered it to be reopened.
However, the Catalans since then have released a statement which captured their shock and surprise at judge’s ruling stating, “The board expressed its surprise and total disagreement with this development and its reasoning, especially taking into account the same magistrate's decision to dismiss the case last July, and the public prosecutors weren't proposing taking action against the president Bartomeu.”
Barcelona showed their support for the accused by stating, “If the judicial action starts, FC Barcelona will maintain the argument that it has defended throughout this process to maintain the innocence of those who are being investigated.”
Barcelona has been in hot water with the Spanish tax authorities before as well. As recently, as June, the Catalans forked out a fine of €5.5 million ($6.2 million) to settle a separate case brought against the club.
At the time, the club acknowledged the error on their part stating, it as “an error in the fiscal planning of the player's transfer”. However, the recent case may not see them present the authorities with such an excuse and get away with it.
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