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Ted Hughes wrote:So can the financial types tell us whether it is normal for a business to cough up 13 million quid without actually being found guilty of anything ?

Or is it just an attempt to bribe the Spanish authorities into letting them off ?

Following the opening of legal proceedings for alleged tax irregularities relating to the different payments made during the signing of the player Neymar da Silva Santos Jr, the Futbol Club Barcelona Board of Directors has met at the Club offices and unanimously reached the following agreements:

1.- The Board denies the existence of any tax related crime in relation to the fiscal obligations arising from the signing of the player. Throughout the process, the Club was receiving expert advice and at every moment the Club’s auditor was informed and had access to all the documentation concerning the negotiations.

2.- As we have done so far, the Club will continue to give maximum collaboration to the Law Courts in order to clarify the facts of the case.

3.- The Club will present a legal defence in the case opened against it and members can be assured that the Club has always acted within the law and that the Board will defend the Club’s reputation – one of the most emblematic in our country – until the final consequences and in whatever legal context required.

4.- We wish to make clear that FC Barcelona has always fulfilled its tax obligations, both in terms of time and method, and has enjoyed close collaboration with the Spanish Tax Authorities. FC Barcelona has no tax debts.

5.- The Board again insists that in relation to this signing, the Club has scrupulously fulfilled its fiscal obligations in line with its awareness at the time of the contracts and agreements signed in good faith.

6.- Given the existence of a possible divergent interpretation of the exact amount of tax responsibility arising from the signing and to defend the Club’s reputation and good name, FC Barcelona has this morning made a complementary tax declaration of a total of 13,550,830,56 Euros (thirteen million, five hundred and fifty thousand, eight hundred and thirty Euros and fifty-six cents) to cover any potential interpretation made concerning the contracts signed in the transfer process for Neymar, although we remain convinced that the original tax payment was in line with our fiscal obligations.

7.- This voluntary contribution should not be understood as in any way affecting the Club’s right to have its tax obligations in this matter determined by the competent authorities, concerning which the Club reserves the right to further action.

The Board of Directors will meet this evening as scheduled in an ordinary session and will deal with issues arising from this question, as well as others included in its agenda.

Twobob wrote:"We didnt do anything wrong but here's 13.5 million Euros" ffs!

PeterParker wrote:I said it and i say it again, UEFA has a really heavy articole that it's saying this: if a team is accused of corruption and they are in a trial right now, like Barcelona is, they aren't allow to play in any UEFA competition, that mean UCL or Europa League.

If this would be normal, Barcelona would have to be excluded. Simple as that. It happend with other clubs. Remember the Fenerbahce case? When Trabzonspor got in the groups on the expense of Fener?

AG7 wrote:Maybe we should, citing UEFA laws, ask for them to be excluded from Champions League right away and thus by default giving us a pass on to the next round draw ...

ashton287 wrote:Fuck all will happen. Uefa make too much money out of barca being in the CL.

They are not interested in what is right. They won't punish barca for blatant corruption but they will punish pellers for stating a fact about one of their shit ref's.

I fucking hate the politics of football, it's ruining the game and getting worse at every fucking turn. Makes me fucking sick.

ashton287 wrote:Fuck all will happen. Uefa make too much money out of barca being in the CL. They are not interested in what is right. They won't punish barca for blatant corruption but they will punish pellers for stating a fact about one of their shit ref's. I fucking hate the politics of football, it's ruining the game and getting worse at every fucking turn. Makes me fucking sick.