Neymar will "fight a claim by Barcelona for compensation" following his move to Paris St. Germain and "has also promised to battle his old club" for part of his '16 contract renewal premium which he claims has not been paid, according to the PA. Neymar and his lawyers "released a joint statement" in response to Barcelona saying on Tuesday that it was pursuing damages for "breach of contract." They said in the statement, "We inform everyone that Neymar and his lawyers are aware of the news released today regarding the legal actions filed by FC Barcelona before the courts of Barcelona. Following official notification and after full review of the club's claim, the player's formal defence will be filed in due course. Regarding the bonuses owed for the execution of the contract of 2016, it is also necessary to inform that the player has already initiated the formal procedures of collection before the competent courts" (PA, 8/23).
CYBER ATTACK: ESPN.com's Samuel Marsden reported Barcelona confirmed that its social media accounts were hacked after the club "had appeared to announce the signing" of Ángel Di María from PSG. The club's official Twitter and Facebook pages made posts on Tuesday that said, "Welcome Angel Di Maria to FC Barcelona." It "soon transpired it was a hack, though," when a group calling itself OurMine claimed responsibility and "encouraged people to get '#FCBHack' trending on Twitter" (ESPN.com, 8/24).
