Barcelona boss named as suspect in Neymar transfer probe

04 February 2015 - 13:55 By Times LIVE
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Barcelona's football club president Sandro Rosell (L) is hugged by club vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu during a press conference to announce his resignation following an extraordinary board meeting at the club offices in Barcelona on January 23, 2014. Rosell resigned amid a legal wrangle over the signing of Brazilian star Neymar and leaves the Barcelona football club in the hands of vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu until the end of his mandate in 2016. AFP
Barcelona's football club president Sandro Rosell (L) is hugged by club vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu during a press conference to announce his resignation following an extraordinary board meeting at the club offices in Barcelona on January 23, 2014. Rosell resigned amid a legal wrangle over the signing of Brazilian star Neymar and leaves the Barcelona football club in the hands of vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu until the end of his mandate in 2016. AFP

A Spanish prosecutor has moved to ask for Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to be investigated for alleged tax fraud in the signing of Brazil international Neymar.

However, the club officially communicated their "surprise, indignation and total disagreement" on Tuesday.

The latest step in a long-running saga relating to the summer 2013 transfer has seen judge Pablo Ruz accept a prosecutor's petition that Bartomeu be charged for allegedly defrauding the Spanish taxpayer of 2.8 million euros during the deal.

Bartomeu is now set to give evidence before Madrid's Audiencia National court on Feb. 13.

The Catalan club have reacted to the latest developments with an official club statement saying they disagreed with moves go ahead with the charges.

The statement read: "FC Barcelona wishes to express to its members its surprise, indignation and total disagreement with the public prosecutor's petition for the club and its former president Sandro Rosell to face trial for presumed misdemeanors in the transfer of the player Neymar da Silva Santos Jr.

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