Barça: Neymar faces trial in Spain a month before the 2022 World Cup
The PSG star will face trial in Barcelona in October for irregularities committed during his transfer from Santos to FC Barcelona in 2013.
The Spanish court has decided that the trial of Brazilian Paris Saint Germain star Neymar will take place in Barcelona from October 17 to 31, one month before the World Cup in Qatar.
Neymar, his parents, and former Barça presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell are accused of “corruption”.
The latter two will also be held responsible for an alleged offense of “fraud”, as will the Santos club and its former president Odilio Rodrigues Filho, according to the referral decision consulted by AFP on Wednesday, July 27.
The prosecution demanded two years in prison and a €10 million fine for Neymar, who had assured the investigation that he was content to play football and that he had blind faith in his father, who is also his agent.
The trial, which will take place just one month before the World Cup in Qatar (21 November-18 December), comes after an initial court case over the transfer, which was concluded by an agreement between the prosecutor’s office and Barça. In 2016, the club agreed to pay a fine of 5.5 million euros to avoid a trial.
