Barca president to face alleged tax fraud investigation connected to Neymar's signing

The president of Barcelona football club would face a legal probe, ordered by Spain's public prosecutor, over allegations of tax fraud connected to the signing of Brazil football team captain Neymar.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu is accused of a 2.8 million-euro fraud, which came amid reports of separate charges relating to Neymar's transfer.

Prosecutors have called for both Barca and its former president, Sandro Rosell, to face trial. The charges relate to accusations that Rosell misappropriated funds during the player's 57 million euros transfer, the BBC reported.

Barca and Rosell have previously denied any wrongdoing.

The prosecutors asked judge Pablo Ruz, in a statement released on Monday, to launch an investigation into Bartomeu. The same judge has been overseeing the investigation into Rosell.

The club initially said that it paid 57 million euros for Neymar with his parents receiving 45 million euros of the fee, but investigators allege that the fee for the forward's transfer from Brazilian team Santos was more than was publicly declared at the time.

Prosecutors claim that as a result Barcelona has not paid about 12 million euros in tax.