Prosecutors accuse Barca president of fraud

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell said he had resigned in the aftermath of a Spanish court’s decision to investigate last year’s signing of Brazilian forward Neymar.

It was revealed on Thursday that the Blaugrana chief was to be called to a High Court hearing to answer questions over allegations of ‘misappropriation of funds’.

It has been alleged that Rosell has profited personally from the deal that saw Neymar move from Santos to Camp Nou.

The Brazilian was paraded as a 57.1m euro (£47m) signing by Barcelona from Santos in June last year but the details of the contract were not revealed due to a confidentiality agreement.

State prosecutors backed the legal challenge and called for a hearing, having decided that there was sufficient grounds to believe there could be a case of “contractual simulation” or distorting the final figures over what has to be paid.

They pointed to 40 million euros (£32m) that was paid as part of the overall fee and went to a company owned by Neymar’s father.

In light of a claim by Spanish daily El Mundo on Monday that the figure was in fact 95 million euros (£78m), Rosell changed tack and from calling the judge to throw out the case he said he would be willing to give evidence and clear his name.