sandro rosell

Brazilian star and two former FC Barcelona presidents absolved of wrongdoing over 2013 transfer from Santos

Prosecutor’s office also requests five-year sentence for ex-president Sandro Rosell

Sandro Rosell had been in pre-trial jail for these allegations for 21 months

Judge takes decision on Sandro Rosell during trial against him for misappropriating money from the sale of football TV rights

Ex-club president is charged with misappropriating money from the sale of football TV rights

The judge at Madrid’s 'Audiencia Nacional', which is a court investigating and ruling on organised crime, terrorism and international fiscal offenses, announced on Wednesday the launching of an ‘oral trial’ against FC Barcelona itself, its current President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and his predecessor and friend, Sandro Rosell, over Neymar Jr's signing. In the end, neither Rosell's resignation in January 2014, nor the payment of a complementary tax declarations have prevented a judge from requesting the opening of a trial against the Catalan club and its former and current presidents. However, it is not clear whether the trial will take place in the end, since there are some doubts about the court jurisdiction. The Audiencia National judge is accusing all of themof alleged corporate and tax offenses in the Brazilian player’s signing. The judge believes that the total amount of the transfer was €83.3 million and not the €57.1 million stated by Rosell in 2013. In addition, the judge believe Rosell hid the real figure from the club's balance sheets.

Spain’s National Court, a Madrid-based high court in charge of investigating and ruling on transnational felonies, announced on Tuesday the indictment of FC Barcelona – as a legal person – and its President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, for alleged fiscal fraud regarding Neymar Jr’s transfer and signing for the Catalan club. The judge considers there to be enough evidence to suggest that the Catalan club and Bartomeu could have committed fiscal felony in the tax declarations for the signing of the Brazilian star. Bartomeu will have to testify with his lawyers before the Madrid-based judge on 13 February. FC Barcelona issued a press statement in which it expresses its “surprise, indignation and disagreement”. Furthermore the Catalan club announced that it shall act determinedly to defend its interests and honour.

Josep Maria Bartomeu, President of FC Barcelona, held a press conference on Wednesday to announce early elections to be held at the end of the current season. Bartomeu also confirmed that he will run. “We believe that calling elections is the best option to lower the tension that is currently present at the club”, he stated. Last week’s confirmation of FIFA’s ban on FC Barcelona by the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) was the last ingredient in a storm that has raged for months. FIFA will prevent the Catalan club from signing any new player until Christmas 2015 as a sanction for signing underage players from foreign countries. Following the CAS’ definitive verdict, Barça’s Football Director, Andoni Zubizarreta, was fired earlier this week.

FC Barcelona has joined Catalonia’s National Alliance for Self-Determination, which groups together more than 3,000 organisations, such as chambers of commerce, employers’ associations, trade unions, political parties, NGOs, etc. The world famous sports club therefore backs Catalonia’s self-determination process and will participate in this group that works to push it forward. Furthermore, in the last few weeks leading Catalan sportsmen such as Xavi Hernández, Gerard Piqué, Pep Guardiola, Cesc Fàbregas, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Aleix Espargaró and Pol Espargaró have given their explicit support to Catalonia’s right to hold a self-determination vote to decide on its own political future, regardless of whether they would vote for independence or not. In fact, only Guardiola has openly backed independence, although none of the others have specified being against it.

The President of FC Barcelona, Sandro Rosell, has resigned this Thursday evening with immediate effects. The First Vice President has assumed the Presidency until the end of the term, in 2016, according to the Catalan club’s rules. In the last few weeks, Rosell has been involved in an alleged scandal regarding Neymar's signing for FC Barcelona. Nothing has been proved and the judge still has to ask Rosell to testify. However, the FC Barcelona President would have taken the decision to resign in order not to involve the club in the judicial process. “In all of these years we have seen that our successes are the result of our victories on the pitch and overcoming innumerable obstacles off the pitch: political, external and, what’s worse, at times the pressure has come from our own environment”, said Rosell. “It has been an honour to serve the Barcelonistas. It’s been a privilege to be the president of FC Barcelona”.

According to FC Barcelona President Sandro Rosell, “the option of building a new stadium on a new site has been dismissed as the final cost could well mortgage the club’s future”. Moving to a new site and building brand new facilities had an estimate cost of €1.2 billion, while the alternative chosen costs €600 million. The project also includes building a new Palau Blaugrana and an Espai Barça. The members’ referendum on the new stadium to be built over the existing structure will be held on 5/6 April

The FC Barcelona President, Sandro Rosell, has confirmed that the midfielder, who was on contract until 2015, will now be staying at the Catalan club until June 30, 2018. In 479 official appearances, Iniesta has won 21 trophies at FC Barcelona. Iniesta will be 34 on June 30, 2018, which will mean he will have been at the club for an incredible 22 years. He first arrived at FC Barcelona in September 1996, when he was only 12. By the 2000/01 season he was making the switch from the U19 team to Barça B and in October 2002 he played his first game for the first team in Bruges. Iniesta is one of Europe’s most admired footballers as he helped Barça to its greatest ever period of success.

The Catalan club’s Board have approved the motion to extend the alliance with the UN body until the end of their term in office, which lasts until 2016. FC Barcelona has agreed, as it has done in recent years, to donate €1.5 million euros a year to joint projects with Unicef, which involve the promotion of education and sport among vulnerable children. Barça and the United Nations first joined forces in September 2006. The current deal was due to end in 2014. “We are very satisfied with this alliance”, stated the  Board Spokesman and Secretary, Toni Freixa.