MADRID — Barcelona has paid 13.5 million euros ($18.6 million) to the Spanish authorities after it was charged last week with tax fraud in the signing of Brazil forward Neymar, the club said Monday. The Spanish champion insisted it had not committed any tax offense and said the payment had been made due to a “possible difference of interpretation” about the amount they owed after signing Neymar from Santos in the close season. The exact amount paid Monday was 13,550,830.56 euros, Barca said in a statement on its website. It was not immediately clear whether the payment would mean the fraud charges laid by a Madrid court would be dropped. — Reuters
