Neymar to stand trial alongside Barcelona and Santos in transfer corruption case
Brazilian investment group, which owned part of Neymar's transfer rights, claims it was entitled to 40% of the fee at the time.
Wednesday 27 July 2022 13:03, UK
Brazilian football star Neymar will go on trial in October in a corruption case stemming from his transfer from Santos to Barcelona.
He and the two clubs are accused of fraud and corruption charges over the 2013 move, with his family also embroiled in the case.
Brazilian investment group DIS, which used to own part of Neymar's transfer rights, alleges that it received less money than it was entitled to when the footballer joined Barcelona from Brazilian club Santos nine years ago.
DIS says it was due to get 40% of the fee, which at the time was reported to be in the region of £48.6m.
Subsequent investigations looked into whether any part of the reported transfer fee had been concealed.
The trial in Barcelona - which will include Neymar, his parents, former Santos manager Odilio Rodrigues, and Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, the then president and vice-president of Barcelona - is set to end just weeks before the start of this year's World Cup in Qatar.
All the defendants have denied any wrongdoing, but appeals by them to Spain's high court have been rejected, forcing the case to go to trial.