The fall-out from Neymar’s acrimonious departure from Barcelona continues.
Barcelona are to sue Neymar, according to reports. The Catalan club want to reclaim a bonus paid to the Brazilian, worth €8.5m (£7.5m), when he signed a new five-year contract last year.
Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain for £198m after the Qatari-owned club paid his buyout clause earlier this month. He had only signed a new five-year deal with Barcelona last year, and the club claim either Neymar or PSG must repay the bonus after the “unilateral termination of his contract” enabled him to leave Barca.
A statement on the Barcelona website read:
“FC Barcelona has sent to the Royal Spanish Football Federation the labour demand that on 11 August was filed against the player Neymar Jr before the Social Court of Barcelona, to transfer it to the French Football Federation and Fifa, to the appropriate legal effects. In this lawsuit, the club claims to the player the amount already settled corresponding to the renewal premium for breach of contract; €8.5m euros in damages; and an additional 10% in arrears. The club also claims that the Paris Saint-Germain subsidiarity assumes payment of these amounts in case the player can not take over.”
Barcelona claim that are acting “in defence of its interests.”
Neymar’s father was also due to receive a “loyalty bonus” from Barcelona. Reports claimed that Neymar Sr had urged PSG to delay formalising the move for Neymar until after July 31. If the player had left before that date, Barcelona would have been under no obligation to pay his father €27m (£23.3m) for Neymar Sr’s role in his son signing a new contract last October.
Neymar’s transfer was confirmed on August 3, but a Barcelona spokesman said the club would not pay his father the bonus, and they are now looking to be repaid a bonus they paid the player last year.
