Neymar To Be Tried Over Irregularities In Barcelona Transfer
Written by on July 27, 2022
Neymar is due to face trial in October over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona, judicial sources said on Wednesday.
The Brazilian international, his parents and former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu will be tried for alleged corruption related to the forward’s move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013.
Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record 222 million euros, but it is his move from boyhood club Santos to Barca which has caused controversy.
The case stems from a complaint by Brazilian group DIS, the former owner of a percentage of the player’s rights.
Barcelona officially said the transfer cost 57.1 million euros ($63.6 million), with 40 million euros going to Neymar’s family and 17.1 million to Santos, but Spanish prosecutors later said it actually cost at least 83.3 million euros.
DIS, which received 6.8 million of the 17.1 million euros paid to Santos, have alleged that Barca and Neymar joined forces to hide the real amount of the transfer.
Neymar, Brazil’s second highest goalscorer of all time behind Pele, will be hoping to lead his country to a record-extending sixth World Cup title in Qatar later this year.