The Athenaeum Forum

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Brazilian club Santos was never told about a 2011 payment from Barcelona to Neymars father to guarantee the rights to sign the talented youngster, its president said Wednesday. Odilio Rodrigues said the club authorized the player to negotiate with other teams, but nobody ever informed Santos that a deal with Barcelona was reached at the time. Rodrigues made the comments a day after Neymars father, who is also the players agent, said Santos was aware the Spanish club paid his company 10 million euros ($13.3 million) to have the right to sign Neymar. Another 30 million euros ($41 million) were paid directly to Neymar fathers company after the deal was finalized last year. Santos was paid about 17 million euros ($23 million) in the transfer, but Rodrigues said the club now will try to determine whether it also deserves part of the money given to Neymar and his father. He didnt dismiss legal action against Barcelona and Neymar. "I always asked Neymars father if he had received anything from Barcelona and he always denied it," Rodrigues said during a news conference in the coastal city of Santos. "When I was in contact with (former Barcelona president) Sandro Rosell, he also always denied it." Rosell last week resigned amid allegations he hid the real cost of the deal in false contracts. Brazilian prosecutors said Wednesday they will also investigate whether there were any tax irregularities on the part of the Neymar family in Brazil. Neymars father had previously denied to the media that the player received any money from Barcelona before last years deal was sealed. He said Tuesday that despite the advanced payment in 2011, Barcelona did not break FIFA rules that prevent teams from luring players under contract with other clubs. He released a document where Santos authorized Neymar to talk to other teams as long as the transfer didnt happen before 2014. The 2011 deal came just before Barcelona and Santos faced each other in the final of FIFAs Club World Cup that year. Neymar was not a factor in the match and Barcelona won 4-0. Barcelona said it spent a total of 57 million euros ($78 million) on Neymar. The salary for the 21-year-old striker is 56.7 million euros ($77.5 million) over five years, the club said last week when it offered details on the contract after a Spanish judge agreed to hear a lawsuit brought by a club member alleging irregularities. Touted as Brazils biggest star and the player in charge of leading the five-time world champions at the World Cup at home, Neymar rejected a 35 million-euro offer from Chelsea in 2010, and several other teams reportedly tried to sign the young striker after that, including Barcelona rival Real Madrid. Dani Alves Jersey . If Vettel wins at Suzuka on Sunday, and his nearest rival Fernando Alonso finishes worse than eighth, the German driver will join his compatriot Michael Schumacher and Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio as the only men to win four consecutive titles. Angel Di Maria Jersey . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. http://www.psgsoccershop.com/c-30-remy- ... ersey.aspx. - After sewage backups, toilet overflows and foul smells surfaced the past two years, nothing at the Oakland Coliseum surprises the home team anymore. Benjamin Stambouli Jersey . 42 sitting next to the bench. The 57-year-old with greying hair couldnt box out or grab a rebound, but owner Ted Leonsis waved his red towel and egged on a cheering crowd that chanted "Free Nene!" The Wizards did just fine without the suspended Brazilian forward. Thiago Silva Jersey .ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Dont rule out Niagara Falls as a potential future home of the Buffalo Bills. Several officials told The Associated Press that a newly formed Bills stadium task force of public and private leaders seeking to bolster the teams long-term viability is considering sites that would put it closer to the teams burgeoning Ontario fan base. "Were looking at Niagara County," Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy told the AP this week. "Were open to looking at a number of venues." Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster confirmed Niagara County was discussed as an option during the inaugural meeting last week of the newly formed New Stadium Working Group committee. Duffy made clear "that all options should be on the table," Dyster said, adding that includes Niagara County and even Batavia, about halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. That goes beyond the groups initial directive, which was first limited to seeking potential stadium sites in Erie County, where Buffalo is located. Another idea is having the Bills relocate their headquarters to the University at Buffalo campus in the Erie County town of Amherst, where a new practice facility would be built and shared with the schools football team. That proposal would satisfy a long-term need for a Mid-American Conference program seeking to broaden its profile. Though not a member of the working group, New York state Sen. Tim Kennedy told the AP he is aware of the preliminary discussions tying the Bills and the school. A person familiar with the discussions confirmed the Bills/UB plan has been raised. That person wasnt authorized to publicly discuss the subjects raised in the private meeting and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Duffy and Dyster are among 20 members of the stadium group, which was established to make recommendations on whether the Bills require a new facility or should continue playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium, their 41-year-old home in Orchard Park. The group was formed as part of a 10-year, $271-million lease agreement the team reached with the state and Erie County in December 2012. The groups role in helping determine the Bills future took on more significance after Ralph Wilson, the teams owner and founder, died on March 25. Wilsons widow, Mary Wilson, is now overseeing the team until the franchise is sold, which raises the possibility of the Bills relocating under a new owner. The Bills are essentially locked into playing at their current home through the 2019 season, because the lease features a $400 million penalty in the event the team broke it. In 2020, the Bills have a one-time opportunity to opt out of the lease ffor about $28 million.dddddddddddd Toronto and Los Angeles are regarded potential suitors. The new owner will have final say on any stadium proposal. Its incumbent upon the working group, which includes U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, to present a framework of viable options that provide the best chance of keeping the team in western New York. "We have many very good tools to help that happen," Schumer told the AP. "I think there is a view that us showing early interest and the potential of a new home for the Bills is very helpful, because we want to show an owner that we want to do what it take to keep the Bills in Buffalo." Ralph Wilson Stadium is currently undergoing $130 million in upgrades. The work includes structural upgrades and adding fan amenities to bring the facility up to modern-day NFL standards. The Bills presence has been regarded as key in helping an economically hard-hit region maintain a national identity. As the NFLs only New York-based franchise, the team generates about $20 million in direct annual tax revenue for the state. Niagara Falls is 30 minutes closer by car than Orchard Park to a growing southern Ontario fan base. The Bills estimate Canadians make up about 18 per cent of their season-ticket base. Kennedy favours the proposal of linking the Bills and the university but is against a stadium site outside of Erie County. "The Buffalo Bills were born in Buffalo and should stay in Buffalo," Kennedy said. "At least in Erie County. If were talking about a new stadium Id like to see it built in Buffalo proper." Kennedy said a new stadium with a dome or a retractable roof could be part of a larger development, including a new convention centre. The new facility would boost efforts to re-energize downtown Buffalo, he said, and could even make the city a contender for hosting the Super Bowl, he said. Former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra said the southern Ontario market is critical to the Bills future. Giambra said Wilson discussed with him the possibility of the team playing home games in St. Catharines, Ontario, while maintaining its headquarters in New York. "They were aggressively trying to figure out how to tap that Canadian marketplace because of the economics," Giambra said. Dyster is aware of discussions regarding the advantages of Niagara Falls location, but said its premature to suggest what recommendations might emerge. "The critical thing here is that we all have to come together as a region to make certain that we keep the Bills here," Dyster said. "If we lose the Bills, were all losers." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '