An hour after scoring the winning goal in the victory of Paris Saint Germain in the classic against Olympique de Marseille in the French league, Neymar appeared on Monday at the beginning of the trial in Spain for alleged fraud and corruption in his signing with Barcelona in 2013.
Neymar’s parents, former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and representatives of the Catalan club and the Brazilian team Santos also appeared in court following the lawsuit filed by DIS, a Brazilian investment consortium that claims the real amount of the transfer was concealed. of the footballer.
Wearing sunglasses and wearing a black suit with a tie, the Brazilian striker arrived at the court in Barcelona. Neymar’s father, who also acts as his agent, was one of his companions.
The defendants, who have denied wrongdoing, sat together to hear the opening arguments of a trial that began nearly a month before the World Cup opens in Qatar on Nov. 20. The trial should end at the end of October.
Neymar left the court a couple of hours later. He did not speak to the journalists present.
The star and the rest of the defendants had to appear on the first day of the trial. Neymar still has to testify during the week.
Playing on Sunday night in Paris, Neymar scored his ninth goal of the current French league season, in first-half injury time, as PSG defeated Marseille 1-0.
The prosecution accused the 30-year-old player and his father of fraud, asking for a maximum sentence of two years in prison, although they are expected to be suspended.
DIS alleges that Neymar and his father hid the true cost of the transfer from Santos to Barcelona in order not to pay him the amount of money that corresponds to them for owning 40% of the player’s federative rights.
They demand that Neymar and his father receive sentences of five years in prison and pay compensation of 34 million euros (32.1 million dollars), in addition to a fine of 195 million euros (190 million dollars) that must be paid. be paid to the Spanish treasury.
The prosecution is seeking a fine of 10 million euros (9.7 million euros) for Neymar and his father. He also asked for five years in prison for Rosell on charges of fraud and corruption, as well as a fine of 10 million euros ($9.7 million).
Neymar’s defense maintains that the crime of corruption in business is not punishable in Brazil, and that is where the transaction took place. He adds that, according to Spanish law, a crime cannot be punished in Spain if it was not committed in both territories.