Neymar deal saw €40m go to parents

Andy West 11:30 25/01/2014
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  • Excessive: Neymar's transfer fee has been the subject of much debate.

    New Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has confirmed Neymar’s parents received €40 million (Dh201m) as part of his transfer fee as the row over the Brazilian star’s contract rumbles on.

    Sandro Rosell resigned from his post on Thursday after being accused by club member Jordi Cases of “misappropriating funds” during the transfer of Neymar from Santos, with a judge ruling there is sufficient evidence to review the case and asking the club to provide more documentation.

    A defiant Bartomeu responded by confirming long-held suspicions that the player and his family were directly paid a significant proportion of the fee, with his club Santos receiving less than a third of the amount – just €17.1m (Dh85.9m).

    Announcing that Neymar’s father had lifted the contract’s confidentiality clauses to allow Barca to provide a more detailed breakdown of the deal, Bartomeu said: “We have not lied. I want to make it very clear: Neymar cost €57.1m.”

    The new president then handed over to board member Raul Sanllehi, who noted with more than adegree of exasperation: “We are very proud of the Neymar deal, but we’re being made to feel as though we should ask for forgiveness for it.”

    Sanllehi revealed €40m of the fee went to N&N management, which stands for Neymar and Nadine, the father and mother of Neymar. He also revealed the forward’s salary, saying: “Including the guaranteed earnings, the signing bonus and the commission, his salary is €56.7m over five years.”

    In a thinly veiled attack on Real Madrid, who are also believed to have attempted to sign the winger before his move to Barcelona was confirmed, Sanllehi added: “Neymar decided to turn down offers in excess of €100m (Dh502m) which would have doubled his salary.”

    Intriguingly, Bartomeu then added that other factors were behind his predecessor’s sudden departure, saying: “Rosell didn’t only resign because of the Neymar case. There were other factors.”

    And he attempted to regain control of the club’s immediate priorities by insisting his focus is on planning the referendum of members in early April that will decide the future of the Nou Camp.

    Rosell’s last act as president was to announce the board’s recommendation to undertake a €600m (Dh3bn) renovation of their existing home rather than building a new arena, with consent required from the club’s 160,000 members before planning can commence.

    “We have a lot of challenges ahead, and the principle one is the referendum,” Bartomeu said. “We have agreed to set up a working group to organise the referendum, headed by [board member] Javier Faus.”

    Whether the new president’s exhortations will be enough to pacify the club’s supporters or a fever-ish media remains to be seen, but Bartomeu insisted he will last the course as he pledged:

    “Although the criticism extends to me and vicepresident Faus, we will not be resigning. We feel strong.”

    Bartomeu was also keen to pledge his support for manager Tata Martino, who was appointed by Rosell in the summer. He said: “Martino is a great professional and he’s doing a great job. We are working together for the future.”

    The Rosell saga: How it happened and what’s next…

    Why has Rosell gone?

    Club member Jordi Cases has alleged that Sandro Rosell (right) “misappropriated funds” during the transfer of Neymar from Santos last summer.

    A judge agreed to review the case and on Wednesday he asked Barca for paperwork – the following day, Rosell resigned.

    Is that the end of the matter?

    Probably not. Although the president has gone, the same regime is still in place and a lot will depend on whether Cases wants to pursue the rest of the board, who were obviously also involved in the Neymar transfer. And many fans are unhappy that Rosell’s sidekick Josep Maria Bartomeu has simply taken over – they want new presidential elections instead.

    How do Barca fans feel about Rosell leaving?

    Most of them are pleased. Although he was voted into office with a healthy majority, his popularity has been declining rapidly in the last couple of years over matters like his decision to allow a commerciallysponsored shirt and Eric Abidal’s messy departure last summer.

    Will it affect Tata Martino’s position as manager?

    In the short-term, no. But if Bartomeu is forced into holding elections and loses, the new president will be in charge of hirings and firings so anything could happen. But the playing staff are pretty isolated from presidential wranglings, which are far from unusual in Spanish football, and the team probably won’t be impacted at all at the moment.

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