Florentino Perez to testify against ex-Barcelona president Sandro Rosell over alleged fraud in deal to sign Neymar - Reports
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will reportedly testify in a Spanish court on October 18 against former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell for alleged fraud in the Neymar Jr. transfer deal.
As per Sport, Los Blancos' president will be as one of 18 proposed witnesses by Brazilian investment fund DIS in the Sixth Section of the Barcelona Court.
Neymar joined the Blaugrana from Santos for a reported fee of €57.1 million in 2013, according to the BBC. DIS was guaranteed 40% of the fee but protested that they received far less in the transaction.
They have now labeled the fraud allegations against the player, his father, who is also his agent, Barcelona, and Santos for paying them less in the whole deal. The Brazilian investment fund have also proposed Real Madrid president as a witness to testify to the aforementioned facts.
They have also attained permission from Perez to provide his interview from the laSexta program "Jugones," on February 3, 2016 as video evidence. Los Blancos' president can be seen verifying that by paying all the rights holders, the signing of Neymar amounted to €150 million.
DIS is now demanding monetary compensation for the damages of the fraud in the alleged €150 million deal. They have also demanded five years in prison for the player and eight years for Rossell and his then vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Along with them, Neymar's father, Barcelona, and Santos will also be tried as three entities for their role in this alleged fraud.
This is the latest addition to the fraud allegations over the Neymar transfer that have made headlines for several years now.
Neymar, Barcelona & Santos to stand trial on fraud & corruption charges over 2013 transfer after appeals turned down by Spain's High Court
Barcelona looking to move past old issues
The Blaugrana have enjoyed massive success in La Liga in the past decade, along with one triumph in the UEFA Champions League as well. However, their issues off the pitch under the presidencies of Rossell and later Bartomeu have damaged the club in several ways.
The biggest problem faced by the Catalan giants was their financial issues. They currently face massive debts and have a worryingly bloated squad earning insanely high wages.
The words of Robert Lewandowski: https://t.co/nx2UCULhiQ
They are now looking to salvage that old dominance by putting new structures and financial levers in play under Joan Laporta. The club have enjoyed an incredible summer so far, signing several key players in the transfer window. However, it is worth noting that they are yet to register their new signings.