Barcelona president Sandro Rosell resigns

Madrid, Jan 24 (IANS) FC Barcelona president Sandro Rosell announced his resignation after an emergency meeting with the Catalan football club’s Board of Directors.

The meeting was held Thursday at the Camp Nou, Barcelona’s stadium, as a result of Rosell’s implication in a corruption scandal related to the transfer of Brazilian striker Neymar, reports Xinhua.

Spanish judge Pablo Ruz announced Wednesday he will proceed to investigate irregularities in Neymar’s contract, who signed for the club last summer from Brazli’s Santos.

Rosell reiterated at the press conference Thursday that the contract was legal, adding that Neymar’s transfer had caused “despair and envy to some of our adversaries.”

Rosell said he did not want “unfair attacks negatively affect the image of the club” and so presented his irrevocable resignation. He also said his family had suffered threats and attacks, events that had had a decisive impact on his decision.

Vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu will take over as Barcelona president until 2016, he thanked Rosell for his work and supported him.

Rosell, who was president of the club since 2010, explained at the beginning of the press conference FC Barcelona’s achievements since he won the elections with 61 percent of the members support.

Rosell told reporters that thanks to an efficient financial management Barcelona had managed to reduce its debt, recover assets and have the best players in the world.

The investigations into Neymar’s contract began following a complaint made by a member of the club, Jordi Cases.

The official price Barca paid for Neymar was 57 million euros ($78.06 million), but Spanish newspaper El Mundo published Monday that the actual figure was higher, 95 million euros.

Santos received 17 million of the stated 57 million euro fee in what is a complicated contract. Meanwhile, 40 million euros were supposedly paid to third parties, although it seems that the amount was paid to the company N&N, owned by Neymar and his father.

Rosell said Monday he had nothing to hide and added he would like to testify.