Neymar’s Barca exit becoming ever more bitter

Catalan club sues superstar for $10 million over ‘contract breach’

BARCELONA — Barcelona is seeking around $10 million in compensation from Neymar for breach of contract, the club said on Tuesday as the bitter fallout rumbles on from his world-record $264 million move to Paris SaintGermain.

The move comes after Barcelona refused to pay a separate $31 million bonus due to Neymar for signing a fiveyear contract renewal last year.

“In the lawsuit, the club demands the player return the already paid sum for his contract renewal as he has not completed his contract; $9.9 million in damages; and an additional 10 percent because of delayed payment,” Barcelona said in a statement.

Neymar’s family hit back on Tuesday in a statement released by their representatives.

“This news was received with surprise given that the player fully respected the contract at the time,” said NN Consultoria.

“As for the bonuses owed for the signature of the contract in 2016, stipulated in the contract and not paid by FC Barcelona... (Neymar) has already started formal proceedings to recover the money before the competent court.”

Despite being under contract, Barcelona was powerless to stop Neymar’s move to PSG earlier this month as the French side met the buyout clause in his contract.

Barca added the demand was lodged against Neymar on Aug 11 with Barcelona’s employment court, eight days after his stunning move to France.

The Catalan giant has also passed the claim onto FIFA and the French Football Federation via the Spanish Football Federation to take what they see as “the appropriate legal effects”.

In addition, Barca urged PSG to pay the amount it is seeking if Neymar — who will reportedly earn $35 million a year after tax for the next five years in Paris — isn’t able to meet its demands.

“Friends that I missed,” Neymar wrote alongside a picture of him being embraced by Messi and Suarez.

Messi is yet to formally sign a new contract, the terms of which were agreed back in July, provoking speculation over his future, with Manchester City and PSG frequently linked with a bigmove for the Argentine.

Neymar’s case is just the latest in a series of legal disputes that blighted the Brazilian’s four-year spell with Barcelona.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, former president Sandro Rosell, Neymar and his parents are to face trial for fraud and corruption in Spain over the murky transfer that brought the player from Santos to Barca in 2013.

Investment company DIS — who owned 40 percent of Neymar’s sporting rights at the time — believe it was cheated out of its share of the transfer.

Barca also settled a case with the Spanish tax authorities over the transfer for around $6 million last year. That case took several months to resolve.

Bartomeu is under mounting pressure as Barca has so far failed in its attempts to replace Neymar, with hefty bids for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele of Borussia Dortmund rebuffed.

Following Barca’s 5-1 aggregate thrashing by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup last week, the hashtag “bartomeudimiteya” (Bartomeu resign now) was a trending topic worldwide on Twitter.