Barcelona will sue Neymar for breach of contract over his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The lawsuit revolves around an €8.5 million loyalty bonus on his last Barcelona contract. Spanish football expert Graham Hunter and ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden relayed the news:
Neymar
signed a contract extension with the Catalan giants in October last
year before leaving for Paris earlier this month in a €222 million deal.
On Tuesday, Barca issued a statement to their official website:
"FC Barcelona
has sent the Spanish Football Federation the labour lawsuit against
Neymar Jr they submitted on 11 August at the Labour Tribunal in
Barcelona so that they can pass it on to the appropriate authorities in
the French Football Federation and FIFA.
"In
the lawsuit, the Club demands the player return the already paid sum
for his contract renewal as he has not completed his contract; 8.5
million euros in damages; and an additional 10% because of delayed
payment. The Club also requests Paris Saint-Germain take on
responsibility for the payment of these fees if the player cannot do so
himself."
The club added it is seeking to "protect its interests" after Neymar's departure so soon after signing a new deal.
Per ESPN.com,
Neymar took aim at Barca's directors on Sunday after helping his new
side thrash Toulouse 6-2 at the Parc des Princes in Paris:
"I
don't have anything to say to the Barcelona board. For me. ... Well,
actually I have something to say: That I am disappointed with them.
"I
spent four years there and was very happy. I began happy, spent four
years happy and left happy. But not with them. For me, they shouldn't be
in charge of Barca. Barca deserve much better, and everyone knows
this."
Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol believed the comments could be in relation to an outstanding loyalty bonus payment:
However, as Marsden suggested, it seems they might also have been as a result of the legal action he looks set to face:
It
has not affected him on the pitch, though, or prevented him from
enjoying an electric start to his career in the French capital, per the
UEFA Champions League's official Twitter account:
Barca
appear to still be reeling after the forward's departure, and despite
the phenomenal amount of money they received for him, bringing in a
replacement has thus far proved difficult.
With news the club are set to sue their former star, the saga is not yet over and may not be for some time.
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