Tax trial urged for Barcelona FC

Spain’s prosecutor has called on the national court to open a trial against Barcelona football club for alleged tax evasion — including in the signing of Brazil striker Neymar.

In a statement, the prosecutor called for jail terms of more than two years for the club’s current president Josep Bartomeu, and more than seven years for his predecessor, Alexandre ‘Sandro’ Rosell, as well as the imposition of large fines.

The prosecutor called for the club itself to be fined €22.2m for alleged false accounting in the tax returns for 2011, 2013, and 2014.