Bartomeu: "Pact with tax authorities approved by the board"

FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu appeared before the press on Monday night to explain the decision taken by the board of directors regarding the 'Neymar pact'.

Bartomeu confirmed the deal had been agreed: "The pact with the tax authorities has been approved by the board, with a balance of 14 votes in favour, two against and two abstentions.

In the next member assembly, the board's running of the club will be put to a vote. We will try to arrange it on a matchday.

We will pay a fine of 5.5 million euros for a tax error made in the signing of Neymar. We accept this offer to put an end to this legal process, always thinking in what is best for the club."

Questions were then taken from the assembled media. 

Regarding the lack of unanimity in the board's decision, Bartomeu responded: "I will not explain the reasons, but we have looked for what is in the club's best interests.

 

We began (our discussions) on Friday and have continued today. It has been a difficult decision, but every board member has freely expressed their opinion. It is significant that 14 directors are in favour of this pact."

Asked about the change in the club's discourse, Bartomeu said: "There are reasons for this, one of which is the uncertainty in the interpretation of the laws, for example. 

The club's assessors have been working on this subject for us. The path we could have taken (as an alternative to the deal) would have been worse for Barça. Now there is a criteria that the 40 million euros (given to Neymar's father's company) was salary."

About Neymar and the problems his incorporation have caused, Bartomeu was adamant: "We would sign him again, of course, but we would probably make a change in the assessors involved. We are a football club and Neymar has helped us win titles. We would sign him again, clearly."

On whether Neymar has demanded judicial guarantees before renewing with the club, the Barça president said: "We are in negotiations, we want to renew his contract. This pact will help in the other case they have against them in Spain, brought by (investment company) DIS."

Asked about the image of the club after the case, Bartomeu denies it has been tarnished: "It is spectacular. Those of you who travel can see that. The image of Barça will not be damaged at all, it grows by the day. Faced by a worse situation, we have stopped the process. This pact with the tax authorities will not damage our image internationally."

On whether the club will take legal action against the assessors involved, Bartomeu replied: "We will put our running of the club to its owners (the members). We admit tax errors. But in deals of this type, many people are involved, so the responsibility is shared a lot. To single out one assessor would be... If the signing was repeated we would change assessors."

He was then pressed on the pact exonerating Sandro Rosell and himself. He claimed: "Neither Rosell nor I did anything wrong. The tax authorities and State counsel exonerate us because we are not to blame. We just signed a player. I repeat that in these types of deals there have been errors in tax planning. We accept the fine and make the pact to stop the process. We have taken the best decision for Barça as a club."

Questioned about when the assembly of members (where a representative group of club members gather to debate and vote on different club issues) will be held to vote on the board: "It will be at the annual assembly. Along with this issue, there is also the sponsorship issue (to debate at the assembly). We ask that they back our running of the club. We are the ones responsible for agreeing this pact."

The vote had been expected to be debated and voted upon in an extraordinary member assembly, but this will not be the case.

On Barça being the only guilty party, Bartomeu stated: "Yes, the tax authorities see that we do not have responsibility, but there is a fine for poor tax planning. Neither of the two presidents (Rosell and Bartomeu) intervened in the signing, so for that reason we were exonerated."

Bartomeu was then asked about what will be voted on at the assembly: "It is to back our governing of the club. All the 'noise' (debate about the deal outside the club) concerns the directors and so we will ask the club members that are chosen to attend the assembly if they think that the club has been well governed. We want to stop this 'noise'. If the members think we have not done a good job, we will go."

Bartomeu was asked what would happen if there were another tax crime committed by the club, could Barça be forcibly dissolved? His response was: "No. That is not considered. It is impossible. There can be errors, but (it would) not (lead to the club's) dissolution."

About a possible reoffence, he stated: "If we commit the same errors, the fine would be greater. But the board has control mechanisms so that situations like this do not happen again. Mechanisms that in 2011 did not exist."

On Neymar's renewal, Bartomeu was optimistic: "It is not related. We have thought first about the club, and if it benefits Barça, then perfect. He has two years left on his deal and it is the moment to extend his contract. We want him to continue here. We are working on (the) Neymar (renewal)."

On not fighting until the end, as had been previously stated as the plan, the president asserted: "It is better to accept the pact and stop with the uncertainty. In one court it (the 40 million euros) is compensation, in another it is deemed salary. We have chosen to pay the 5.5 million euros and finish with the topic."

On Toni Freixa (who had said he would not allow the board to have Barça blamed as the guilty party), Bartomeu said of his former fellow board member: "He knows perfectly well that there were many people involved in the signing."

Asked why the pact is in the club's best interests, Bartomeu concluded: "There are many interpretations and disparity of opinion. The best (way forward) was to accept the pact, the payment then corresponds to salary and the topic is closed.

Now we know with this pact what we adhere to. The pact limits our fine. If we had continued to fight this, the fine could have been far greater (22 million euros) or not, of course (depending on whether they then won or lost the case)."