Irregularities in Neymar Case Cause Concern at Santos

01/24/2014 - 09h00

The ongoing controversy surrounding Neymar's move to Barcelona has been causing unrest at Santos, his former club.

The matter has been discussed in a meeting of Odílio Rodrígues Filho, the club president, with the board of directors. One issue in particular that came up was the possible summons of Neymar's father to testify before the Spanish courts.

Counselors at the club are working behind the scenes to obtain access to all the documentation available regarding the player. One alternative being considered is to request the opening of an inquiry with the club's advisory board.

"There's no way around it. They need to provide an explanation. If they were deceived by Barcelona, it's poor administration. If they received money and failed to declare it, it's poor administration. If Neymar's father swindled them, it's poor administration. In any of these cases, it's cause for impeachment," said the counselor Celso Leite.

The Spanish courts are currently investigating just how much Barcelona paid for Neymar. The club declared that they paid €57 million (USD $78 million), but the press alleges that they paid more than €95 million (USD $130 million).

Santos has received just €17 million (USD $23 million).

"Perhaps the solution would be to ask the Public Prosecutor or the Federal Police to investigate, to establish if there has been any malpractice. The directors of Santos need to clarify things better," said Orlando Rollo, one of the leaders of the Santos Third Way Movement.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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	Josep Lago/AFP
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