Barca opens vault to clear Neymar tax fraud charge

Barcelona has paid 13.5 million euros ($18.53 million) to the Spanish treasury after the club was charged last week with tax fraud in the signing of Brazil forward Neymar.

The Spanish champion reiterated that it did not consider it had committed any offense and said it had made the payment due to a "possible difference of interpretation" about how much it owed after signing Neymar in the close season.

Club president Josep Bartomeu said Barca would fight to defend itself "because we are in the right", and expressed surprise the case had blown up so quickly.