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Neymar returned to Barcelona on Monday, October 17th, for the start of the trial against him for alleged corruption in the negotiation of his transfer from Santos to Barcelona. The complaint filed by the DIS Group, which owned 40% of the player's rights, is being reviewed by a Barcelona court and the Brazilian was present on the first day of the trial.
Noetheless, the highlight of this initial session was the president of the court, José Manuel del Amo, who allowed the PSG forward to skip the trial and rest. It should be noted that this decision was made following a request from Neymar's lawyer.
As a reminder, Neymar arrived in Barcelona from Paris after playing against Olympique de Marsella, against which he scored a goal and then went through the doping control. Therefore, the judge, who declared himself a football lover, decreed that the Brazilian could be absent, stating the following: "While you were scoring a goal, I was already in bed".
After these words, Neymar and his representatives began to laugh at the anecdote. However, the PSG player stood up a few minutes later and left the courtroom to take a break, while his team remained present to continue with the trial. However, Neymar will have to attend on Tuesday to give statements, as this stage of the process was brought forward so as not to affect his commitments with PSG.
What is the 'Neymar Case 2' about?
According to DIS, FC Barcelona and Santos agreed on a lower price than was actually paid in order to decrease the €25 million that the Brazilian company was supposed to receive. They claimed to have been defrauded because the difference was subsequently paid through ten private contracts, which were signed with the player's family.
Therefore, sitting in the dock were Neymar, his parents, Sandro Rosell, who was the president of the Catalan club at the time, Josep Maria Bartomeu in his capacity as former vice president, and Odilio Rodríguez representing Santos. It should be noted that FC Barcelona, as an entity, is also accused of alleged corruption in the dealings with the Brazilian's transfer.