Neymar cleared of fraud, corruption charges

All fraud and corruption charges against Brazil forward Neymar have been dropped by the Spanish prosecutors.

Neymar and other individuals were accused of fraud over his transfer to Barcelona from Santos in 2013.

Prosecutors wanted a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a 10 million euros (£8.62 million) fine.

At the start of the trial, DIS said it was demanding a five-year jail term for Neymar, and a total fine of €149m fine for the defendants.

NEYMAR JR REACTION

Last week, Neymar told a court he did not participate in negotiations over his transfer to Barcelona from Santos nine years ago. But had signed what his father had told him to.

“I didn’t participate in the negotiations. My father always took care of it and always will. I sign everything he tells me to sign,” Neymar told the court in Barcelona in his first testimony in the trial that began on Monday.

Before the prosecutor dropped his charges, former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell had downplayed the €40m payment.

“It’s like when you buy an apartment and make a down payment … it’s paying to have a priority future right of what you want to acquire,” the former Barcelona chief testified.

BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

The case centred on an allegation made by Brazilian investment firm DIS. They owned 40% of the rights to Neymar when he was at Brazil’s Santos, that it lost out on its rightful cut from the transfer because the value of the deal was understated.

The alleged offence of which Neymar Jr and his family were accused of is also not punishable by law in Brazil.

A court document released in July alleged that Barcelona initiated negotiations in 2011 with the player, paying him €40m to ensure his move when his contract with Santos expired in 2014 and thereby preventing other clubs from signing him.