Madrid, Europe Brief News – Brazil footballer Neymar is scheduled to stand at trial in Spain over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona in 2013.
Neymar is one of nine defendants on trial on corruption-related charges, among them his parents and their N&N company, which manages his affairs.
Neymar has said his manager father always handled his contracts as he took the stand at his trial in Spain over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona in 2013.
“My father has always been in charge” of contract negotiations, the 30-year-old told the Barcelona court hearing the case on Tuesday. “I sign what he tells me to.”
He also said he did not remember if he took part in the negotiations which led to an agreement sealed in 2011 with Barcelona over his transfer two years later to the Catalan side from Brazilian club Santos.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison term for Neymar. Neymar is also a key member of the Brazil team that will be heading to the World Cup in Qatar next month, and the payment of a 10-million-euro ($9.8m) fine.
The trial is the culmination of a years-long legal saga over Neymar’s 2013 move from Santos to Barcelona.
He then joined Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a world record 222-million-euro ($215m) transfer in 2017.
