A Spanish court cleared Neymar of possible charges of fraud and corruption. Previously, the Brazil and PSG star faced hefty fines and even a possible prison sentence in the case.
Along with the player, the court also acquitted all the defendants. This included Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues, as well as Neymar’s parents.
The crux of the case revolved around Neymar’s transfer in 2013 from Santos to Barcelona. Investment firm DIS accused the player, his father and Barca of essentially hiding the true cost of the transfer fee. This would have meant that the defendants were trying not to pay the DIS the correct amount of money. Previously, the firm had partial ownership of Neymar’s player rights.
DIS does not prove that Neymar has committed fraud or corruption
However, the court did not agree with the plaintiff. According to the Associated Press, the Spanish court issued a statement saying DIS was unable to prove its point. “It has not been proven that there was a false contract or that it was intended to harm the DIS,” the official statement read.
The decision comes at a time when Neymar could certainly use some good news. Brazil was recently knocked out of the 2022 World Cup by Croatia. The epic quarterfinal match ended on penalties. While Neymar scored one goal in the match, Brazil were defeated 4-2 in a penalty shootout.
Ronaldo asks Neymar to seek psychological support
Following the loss, Neymar was seen in tears and even suggested that the match could be the last for Brazil. Legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo has claimed that Neymar should receive mental health treatment. “I would advise having psychological support to withstand this pressure, which is extremely disproportionate for human beings,” Ronaldo told the Brazilian outlet Globo.
“Neymar will return with the same passion, with the same desire,” Ronaldo continued. “But I wanted to reinforce this need to monitor the mental health of our players… It is very important for us to address this issue, especially when it comes to the World Cup, where the whole world is watching the national team. The world was looking at Neymar”.
The star striker will now be given some much-needed time off before heading back to France. PSG will play their next Ligue 1 game on December 28 at home against Strasbourg.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo
