Barca President Bartomeu appears before judge over Neymar irregularities

FC Barcelona President, Josep Maria Bartomeu this Friday testified that he had no part in drawing up the contracts to sign Brazilian striker, Neymar in the summer of 2013, the Spanish press reports.

Bartomeu was testifying to judge Pablo Ruz after being indicted for a possible charge of tax evasion which saw the club not pay 2.8 million euros (slightly over 3 million U.S. dollars) to the Spanish Treasury. This is linked to the fact Neymar is reported to have cost Barca 94.8 million euros, rather than the 57.1 million euros the club had confirmed as the true price.

The current Barca President, replaced Sandro Rosell in the Presidency just over a year ago after Rosell was forced to resign as the result of the scandal. He testified that although he has formed part of a small group of people who had taken part in the signing process, he has not intervened in the negotiation process in drawing up the contracts.

He admitted that he had signed the contacts, but insisted that was because he had no reason to suspect any irregularities and pointed out that in taking over the presidency he had instructed Barca to pay 13.5 million euros to the Treasury to leave everything in order.

Meanwhile Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez expressed what is probably the view of the majority of Barcelona players and supporters over the Neymar affair when he spoke on Catalan radio on Friday.

When asked about Bartomeu' s appearance before the judge, he said that he didn't like the idea of Bartomeu "going to Madrid to declare. It is a question that is becoming tiresome," he commented.

Xavi said the question was "uncomfortable for everyone," and expressed his desire to see the issue resolved, "as soon as possible."

"A series of circumstances, political, general and sporting have led to this," he added. Endi