Brazilian superstar Neymar is set to go on trial in Spain on Monday over alleged irregularities in his sale to Barcelona nearly ten years ago, less than a month before the World Cup.
Around 9:45 a.m., the 30-year-old, who was dressed in sunglasses and a dark suit, waved to the media as he and his parents entered the Barcelona Provincial Court.
A protracted legal battle over his 2013 move from the Brazilian team Santos to Barcelona culminated in the high-profile trial.
Then, in 2017, Neymar transferred to Paris Saint-Germain, which is owned by Qatar, for a then-record 222 million euros ($214 million).
He is one of nine defendants being tried for alleged acts of corruption, together with his parents and their N&N corporation, which is in charge of managing his affairs.
Three people are accused of commercial corruption.
Following a 2015 complaint from DIS, a Brazilian firm that at the time of the player's transfer to Santos owned 40% of the player's sporting rights, investigators started looking into the trade.
Barcelona stated that the transfer would have cost 57.1 million euros, while prosecutors estimate it to have cost at least 83 million.
The club claimed to have paid Santos 17.1 million euros and N&N 40 million euros, of which 6.8 million euros went to DIS.
However, DIS asserts that Neymar, Barcelona, and the Brazilian club conspired to conceal the deal's full cost.
Two previous Barca presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as the former head of Santos are also defendants.
0 Comments