Last Thursday, Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was accused by one of his main opponents on the board, Jordi Cases, of "misappropriation of funds" according to a story in Monday's edition of the daily paper 'El Mundo'. The figure allegedly embezzled by Rosell is €40 million.

The signing of Neymar is shrouded in mystery, which Barcelona football club has refused to clarify publicly. Both Rosell and his deputy, Josep María Bartomeu, have hidden behind a confidentiality clause whenever they have been asked for a breakdown of the signing of the Brazilian player.

Officially, the €40 million commission on the transfer went to the player's father. The signing in the end would possibly have cost no less than €100 million, which explains the words of Florentino Pérez a few months ago, when he said that Real Madrid was pulling out of the bidding for Neymar as he could end up costing €150 million.

"If I could have signed him under circumstances which would not have changed the 'ecosystem' of the club, I would have. But our calculations have come out at more than €150 million", the Real Madrid president said in May.