BARCELONA, Spain -- The president of Spanish champion Barcelona resigned on Thursday to fight criminal accusations he misappropriated funds from the signing of Brazil forward Neymar. Sandro Rosell is facing a lengthy legal battle after a judge in Madrid ruled on Wednesday he will hear a lawsuit that alleges the real cost of Neymars transfer from Santos last year was hidden. "I dont want unfair attacks to negatively affect (the) management or the image of the club. This is why I think my time here has come to an end," Rosell said, while insisting for a second time this week that the deal to bring Neymar to Barcelona was legal. Neymar, who is the poster boy of Brazils team going into the World Cup on home soil in June, joined for 57 million euros (then $74 million) in June, according to Rosell. The legal action, which was brought by club member Jordi Cases, alleges the real cost of Neymars transfer was closer to 95 million euros ($129 million) and that false contracts hid the real value of the move. The criminal offence of misappropriation of funds is punishable by up to six years in prison. The 49-year-old Rosell, a former Nike executive, said confidentiality agreements prevented Barcelona from revealing the exact amount received by Santos, and the three companies -- DIS, TEISA and N&N -- who owned shares of his rights. The lawsuit does not accuse Rosell of taking money from the deal. The case prompted Barcelonas board to call an emergency meeting, and Rosell announced he was quitting after more than two hours of deliberations. The transfer controversy is a blot on the reputation of a Catalan football institution that has long prided itself on being "more than a club" and is owned by its more than 160,000 members, who elect a president and executive board. And Barcelona, while top of the Spanish league, enters a period of uncertainty as it seeks to retain its domestic title and win the Champions League for the first time since 2011. Rosell, who was elected in 2010, said vice-president Josep Bartomeu will take his place and complete the presidential term that expires in 2016. Under three full seasons of Rosells presidency, Barcelona maintained its winning run started under Joan Laporta with another two Spanish league trophies to go with the Champions League title in 2011 and the Copa del Rey in 2012. Rosell said he was leaving to reduce the stress on him and his family and lamented what he described as attacks from both outside and within the club, despite its continued success on the pitch. "Through this period of success, my family and I have suffered attacks that have made me wonder if being president means putting my family at risk and in anguish," Rosell said. As he resigned, Rosell trumpeted his role in ensuring "the best players in the world wear the Barcelona jersey." Rosell oversaw the signing of Neymar, Cesc Fabregas, Alexis Sanchez, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba, and Alex Song to further strengthen a team built around star forward Lionel Messi. Messi himself is going through his own legal difficulties. The Argentina forward and his father, Jorge, are waiting to hear if they will face charges in a tax fraud case after answering a judges questions last year about allegations they avoided 4 million euros ($5.3 million) in back taxes. Rosell steered Barcelona through uncertainty last season when treatment for throat cancer kept coach Tito Vilanova away for several months. Vilanova had to step down at the end of last season through ill health and Gerardo Martino was brought in to take charge. But while helping to establish Barcelona as Europes most successful team, Rosell also upset some members by putting paying sponsors on the front of Barcas shirts for the first time by striking deals with Qatar Foundation and Qatar Airways. Rosell has faced accusations about his business dealings away from the Camp Nou, with accusations in Brazil he illegally benefited from a friendly organized by his marketing company in 2008. By leaving his powerful job at Barcelona, Rosell also loses seats on influential committees within world football on FIFA and UEFA. Air Max 90 The Starry Sky Black . - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver. 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In 57 games this season he had one goal and six assists with 34 penalty minutes in Edmonton.MILAN, Italy -- Indonesian entrepreneur Erick Thohir and two associates signed a deal to take over a majority stake of 18-time Italian champion Inter Milan on Tuesday, becoming the second foreign owners in Serie A. The takeover reportedly cost 350 million euros ($475 million). Thohir, and fellow Indonesians Rosan Roeslani and Handy Soetedjo agreed to buy a 70 per cent stake, Inter said on its website. The first Serie A club to cede majority ownership to foreigners was Roma, which was taken over by a group of Boston executives in 2011. The 43-year-old Thohir is part owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and D.C. United. He is chairman of the Mahaka Group, which has business interests in media and entertainment. "Today is a truly special day in my life," Thohir said. "I am honoured that Mr. Moratti has entrusted me with the responsibility to lead Inter into the next chapter, and I am excited to have him continue in the future as my partner. The job done by the Moratti family, from Angelos great Inter to Massimos treble record, has made Inter one of the most respected clubs in the world." Thohir has also served as vice-president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee and as Indonesias chief of mission for the 2012 London Olympics. "I am an entrepreneur but first of all I am a supporter and a sports lover," Thohir said. "I cannot wait to put our passion and international experience at the service of this fantastic club and its supporters."t; It remains unclear if the 68-year-old Moratti, who has owned the club since 1995, will remain president.dddddddddddd "That I dont know," Moratti said outside the office of his family oil company, Saras. "Every president leaves his mark," Moratti added. "The important thing is that hes always respectful of the rest of the world, beyond his own job, and I think these people also have that in mind. ... Theyre people that really mean well and are good character-wise, too." Inter and city rival AC Milan have each won 18 Serie A titles, second on the all-time list behind Juventus record 29. Inter has also won three European Cups. Moratti took over the club after his father Angelo was owner during the teams early glory years in the 1960s, when Inter won the European Cup twice. After some difficult years under the younger Moratti, Inter returned to the top after the 2006 match-fixing scandal and won five consecutive Serie A titles from 2006-2010. In 2010, Inter also won the Champions League and the Italian Cup for an unprecedented treble in Italy, with Jose Mourinho as manager. However, Inter struggled again in the past two seasons -- finishing sixth in 2012 and ninth last season with the same number of losses (16) as wins. Inter is coming off its first loss of this season, a 3-0 defeat to first-place Roma, which left the team in fourth place under first-year manager Walter Mazzarri. The Nerazzurri visit Torino on Sunday. ' ' '