- Title: Neymar faces five-year jail-term request in corruption and fraud trial
- Date: 13th October 2022
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 13, 2022) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PAULO NASSER, SPOKESPERSON FOR BRAZILIAN INVESTMENT GROUP DIS, THE PRIVATE PROSECUTOR OF THE NEYMAR CASE, SAYING: “What DIS and FAB (Brazilian athlete Federation) request in this procedure is a sentence of 5 years in prison, in accordance with article 77 of the Spanish penal code. A fine for the State of three times the benefit obtained, amounting to 149 million euros. And for the accused, Mr. Neymar da Silva Santos and Mrs. Nadine Goncalves da Silva Santos, 7 years and 6 months and one day of special disqualification for the exercise of representation of professional soccer players and business administrators. And for the defendant, Neymar Jr, in accordance with the provisions of article 56 of the penal code, the penalty of special disqualification for the profession or trade of professional football during the duration of his sentence.â€
- Embargoed: 27th October 2022 13:56
- Keywords: Barca Barcelona Brazil FCB Neymar Spain newser trial
- Location: BARCELONA AND MADRID, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA AND MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Europe,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA005202913102022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Brazil forward Neymar will stand trial next week on fraud and corruption charges over his transfer to Barcelona from Santos in 2013 and the complainant, Brazilian investment firm DIS, said on Thursday (October 13) it was demanding a five-year jail term.
Along with Neymar, the defendants in the trial being brought by Spanish prosecutors, which begins in Barcelona on Monday (October 17), are his parents, the two clubs, former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues.
The case stems from a complaint by DIS, a Brazilian company that owned 40% of the rights to Neymar when he was at Santos. It argues it lost out on its rightful cut from the transfer because the true value of the deal was understated.
Neymar has denied the allegations but lost an appeal in Spain's High Court in 2017, which paved the way for the trial.
Reuters has contacted representatives for Neymar and his parents for comment.
Rosell has also previously denied any wrongdoing. His representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
Barcelona and lawyers representing Bartomeu declined to comment on the case. Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Rodrigues could not be immediately reached.
DIS is also requesting jail terms for Rosell and Bartomeu, and a 149 million euros ($144 million) fine.
Spanish prosecutors want a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a 10 million euros fine and a five-year jail term for Rosell plus an 8.4 million euros fine for the Spanish club.
DIS acquired 40% of Neymar’s rights when he was aged 17 in exchange for 2 million euros. It argues that the player's sale to Barcelona was well below his real market value.
Barcelona said at the time of Neymar’s move that the transfer figure was 57.1 million euros, of which 40 million was paid to Neymar’s family.
DIS received a 40 percent share of the remaining 17.1 million that was paid to Santos.
"Neymar's rights have not been sold to the highest bidder. There were clubs that offered up to 60 million euros," DIS lawyer Paulo Nasser told a news conference in Barcelona on Thursday.
The court in Barcelona where the trial will be held said Neymar will have to appear in-person on Monday for the first day but it is unclear if he will be asked to stay for the whole hearing that could go on for two weeks.
(Production: Horaci Garcia, Elena Rodriguez, Fernando Kallas) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None