Judge demands for documents of Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona

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Spanish judge has requested that Barcelona hand over all documents relating to the controversial transfer of Neymar from Santos last summer.

Audiencia Nacional judge Pablo Ruz is investigating the case taken out by Barcelona ‘socio’ Jordi Cases, who claims president Sandro Rosell and his fellow board members have not revealed all the details of the transfer to the club’s members.

The total fee paid for Neymar, and the destination of all the money spent by Barca, remains unclear.

The club first claimed the fee was 57.1 million euros, then 65 million euros, and Cases alleges that the total outlay was 74 million euros. It has been alleged that 40 million euros went to Neymar and his family as a ‘signing bonus’.

According to El Pais, Ruz wants to examine Barca’s accounts from the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, as well as all Neymar’s contracts, to determine whether any crime has been committed by either the club, the player or his representatives.

Barca’s board have long maintained that they cannot reveal any details of the transfer due to a confidentiality agreement.

This has been challenged in Brazil, where third party investors who previously owned a share of Neymar’s footballing rights are angry that they are only getting a share of the 17.1 million euros which Santos say was the actual transfer fee.

When it emerged last week that a case was being taken out, Barca told AS the action was “rash and unfounded.”

Neymar, 21, has been a success at the Camp Nou, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in his first 22 games.