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A32 sports
Diahuebs 12 November 2020

Barcelona wants Neymar to pay back nearly $12 million

(AP) — Barcelona is su- not comment on the case. personal debt in the country
ing Neymar for nearly $12 Neymar played for Barcelona last year.
million, the amount the from 2013-17 before joining Barcelona has been strug-
club believes it overpaid French club Paris Saint-Ger- gling financially this year
the Brazilian during the main on a record transfer fee because of the coronavirus
time he played in Spain, a of 222 million euros ($262 pandemic. It lowered player
person with knowledge of million). wages earlier in the year and
the case said Wednesday. Neymar and Barcelona were has continued to negotiate
accused by Spanish authori- salary adjustments to try to
The person said Barcelona ties of irregularities during reduce costs.
overpaid Neymar to avoid the Brazilian's transfer to the The Catalan club also has
possible tax irregularities Catalan club, including try- been enduring an internal
while authorities investigated ing to hide the real amount crisis since an embarrassing
his transfer from Brazilian that was paid to Santos at the 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich
club Santos in 2013. Calcula- time. in the quarterfinals of the
tions recently concluded by They all deni Champions League, with Li-
tax authorities showed that ed wrongdoing. onel Messi eventually asking
the club didn't have to pay Spanish tax authorities said to leave the club and presi-
the 10 million euros ($11.8 The person spoke to The As- to make public comments in September that Neymar dent Josep Bartomeu and his
million), so it is requesting sociated Press on condition about the issue. owed 34.6 million euros board of directors resigning.
that the player returns that of anonymity because the Neymar's representatives ($40.8 million) in taxes from Messi stayed, but Bartomeu
amount. person was not authorized told the AP that they would his time in Spain, the highest is gone.

British cycling coach dismissed for gross misconduct

(AP) — Britain's cycling grounds for Stewart's
team dismissed podium dismissal also included a
sprint coach Kevin Stewart failure to follow the specific
for gross misconduct, directions with regard to
including for what was respecting athletes' personal
described as a "long-term boundaries, inappropriate use
pattern of inappropriate of electronic communication,
relationships with riders". and actions bringing the
organisation into disrepute.
Stewart failed to act on "I wholeheartedly apologize
repeated warnings about to the team for my actions,
his conduct, and that "his which I acknowledge were
behaviors fell short of not acceptable," Stewart
the values and standards said. "I realized my actions
expected," the governing had made my position on
body said. relationship between himself Stewart, who would have Olympics, apologized and the team untenable and had
An investigation into and any members of the been an integral part of acknowledged his actions handed in my resignation
Stewart's conduct had found team, the governing body Britain's medals bid at made his position untenable. before being dismissed while
no evidence of a physical added. next year's delayed Tokyo British Cycling said the on my notice period."

Olympic leaders raise hopes for safe Tokyo Games with fans

(AP) — Encouraged by and more confident that we first visit since the postpone-
progress this week in find- will have a reasonable num- ment decision was made in
ing a COVID-19 vaccine ber of spectators then also in March, and the traveling
and staging sports events the Olympic venues," IOC Olympic party had begun a
in Japan, the IOC is get- President Thomas Bach said. period of quarantine to pre-
ting "more and more con- Asked if the IOC could itself pare.
fident" that next year's try to acquire vaccine doses Bach gave a firm "no" in re-
Tokyo Olympics can have for Olympic participants, sponse when asked if a con-
fans in the venues. Bach said contact is ongoing tingency for canceling the
with the World Health Or- Olympics would be dis-
After the 2020 Summer ganization and "a number of cussed.
Games were postponed by the manufacturers." In other Olympic business
one year, the International "There are different options Wednesday: the league and players' union reprisals for protesting the
Olympic Committee has put under consideration, how — Bach welcomed the NBA's leaders. disputed re-election of state
faith in progress for rapid vaccines can be made avail- 2020-21 schedule that frees — The IOC passed a 16% President Alexander Lukash-
testing for COVID-19 and able," he said. players for the Tokyo Olym- increase in its 2021-24 bud- enko. The IOC pledged in-
vaccines to ensure that they However, he added that ath- pics. The regular season starts get to help national Olympic vestigations last month.
can take place starting July letes should not be a top pri- two months later than usual, bodies and athletes prepare The IOC has resisted calls to
23. ority worldwide. in mid-December, but is cut for the Summer and Win- suspend Lukashenko, who
News from pharmaceutical "The first wave of vaccina- by 10 games to 72. ter Games. The Solidarity has been president of the Be-
firm Pfizer on Monday of tion ... must be for the peo- "This is what the players want Commission will have $590 larus Olympic Committee
promising trials of its vac- ple in need, for the high-risk and the Olympic movement million to distribute with a for 23 years.
cine followed Tokyo hosting groups, for the nurses, for the wants," Bach said. bigger share going direct to — The troubled Interna-
an international gymnastics medical doctors and for ev- Basketball's international athlete scholarships. tional Weightlifting Federa-
competition at the weekend. erybody who is keeping our body, FIBA, said the Olym- — Activists in Belarus sent tion will not face a review
"Having seen now the dif- societies alive," Bach said. pic-friendly NBA schedule evidence received by the of its place at the 2024 Paris
ferent (event) tests in Japan The IOC leader said he will followed "regular and con- IOC this week to support Olympics until after the To-
I think we can become more go to Tokyo next week for a structive exchanges" with claims that athletes are facing kyo Games, Bach said.