Framework
Despite the fact that FC Barcelona initially estimated the signing of Neymar at 57.1 million euros (40 million for his family and 17.1 for Santos), the Spanish justice estimated that it reached at least 83 million.
For DIS – a sports investment company owned by the Brazilian supermarket group Sonda – Barça, Neymar and later Santos joined forces to hide the real amount of the operation through other contracts from which they were left out.
The company, owner since 2009 of 40% of the soccer player’s economic rights, received 6.8 million euros of the 17.1 officially entered into the Brazilian club.
“Neymar Junior, with the connivance of his parents and FC Barcelona, and their leaders at the time, and Santos FC in a second momentdefrauded the legitimate economic interests of DIS, defrauding him,” said Paulo Nasser, the company’s lawyer, on Thursday.
Feeling doubly harmed, both for not having received their share of the real transfer and for the exclusivity contract signed by Neymar and Barça before his official signing – which prevented other clubs from bidding for the striker -, DIS now requests that he be reinstated the 35 million euros that it estimates to have lost.
As a private accusation, the group also asks for five years in prison for Neymar and that he pay a fine of 149 million euros to the State, in addition to another five years in prison for Rosell and Bartomeu with fines of 195 million.
turbulent relationship
Neymar’s lawyers argue, on their side, that their client did not commit any crime, since the 40 million euros corresponded to a “legal and usual signing bonus in the football market”, according to their lines of defense, which they also question that Spain has jurisdiction to deal with the case.
This long-awaited trial is known as “Neymar 2”, since “Neymar 1”which settled an accusation of tax fraud in the signing, was closed with an agreement between the Prosecutor’s Office and Barça, which agreed to pay a fine of 5.5 million euros in 2016.
The turbulent story between the club and the Brazilian did not end, however, with his abrupt departure in 2017. Neymar and Barcelona faced each other in court again in 2020, this time over the claim for a portion of the renewal premium that he received. Neymar remained to be charged, which was rejected, and with another conviction for the footballer at stake for breach of contract.
Finally, the entity and 10 of the ‘Seleçao’ reached an agreement “in a friendly way” last year to close all pending legal proceedings.