FC Barcelona is going to war against Neymar.
The Spanish soccer club announced Tuesday on its website it’s suing Neymar for €8.5 million (£7.8 million/$10 million) for an alleged breach of contract following his record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona filed the lawsuit Aug. 11 with the Spanish soccer federation.
“In this lawsuit, the club demands the amount already paid as a bonus for the renewal of (Neymar’s) contract for breach of contract, 8.5 million euros in damages, and an additional 10 percent in interest,” Barcelona’s statement reads.
Neymar left Barcelona for PSG on Aug. 3 in a €222 million (£197.3 million/$257 million) transfer. Barcelona wanted to keep Neymar, but PSG paid his buyout clause and convinced him to move to France.
Barcelona has reacted bitterly to his move, first refusing to pay his father, who doubles as his agent, a €25 million (£23 million/$30 million) fee for brokering his original contract extension, then delaying his PSG debut by failing to send his international transfer certificate promptly.
Amid a strong start to his PSG career, Neymar ripped Barcelona’s board Sunday in an interview with reporters.
“I spent four years there and I was very happy,” Neymar said, per L’Equipe. “At the start, I was happy. I spent four beautiful years there and I parted happy. But with them (the club’s directors), no. For me, they are not the people who should be there, for the direction of Barca. Barca deserve much better and the whole world knows it.”
The timing and force of Neymar’s comments seemed strange at the time, but they now make perfect sense in light of Barcelona’s lawsuit.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
