With the World Cup less than a month away, Brazilian superstar Neymar goes on trial in Spain on Monday for alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona nearly a decade ago.
The 30-year-old, who was wearing sunglasses and a dark suit, waved to the press as he arrived with his parents at the Barcelona Provincial Court around 9:45 a.m.
The high-profile trial concludes a years-long legal saga involving his 2013 transfer from Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona.
His parents and their N&N company, which manages his affairs, are among the nine defendants on trial on corruption-related charges.
All three are charged with business corruption.
Investigators began probing the transfer following a complaint filed in 2015 by DIS, a Brazilian company that owned 40% of the player’s sporting rights when he was with Santos.
Barcelona stated that the transfer cost 57.1 million euros, but prosecutors believe it was closer to 83 million euros.
The club stated that it paid N&N 40 million euros and Santos 17.1 million euros, of which 6.8 million was given to DIS.
However, DIS claims that Neymar, Barcelona, and the Brazilian club conspired to conceal the true cost of the deal.
Other defendants include two former Barcelona presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as former Santos boss Odilio Rodrigues Filho.
If convicted, he faces two years in prison and a fine of ten million euros ($9.7 million).
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will testify via videoconference on Tuesday about how a secret pre-contract agreement between Barcelona and Neymar in 2011 influenced the market.
Neymar’s lawyers maintain that their client is innocent, claiming that the 40 million euros was a “legal signing bonus that is standard in the football transfer market.”
They claim that because the transfer involved Brazilian nationals in Brazil, Spanish authorities lack jurisdiction to hear the case.
Neymar’s abrupt departure from Barcelona for PSG five years ago sparked a series of legal squabbles, with Barcelona withholding its contract extension bonus and suing the player for breach of contract, while Neymar countersued.
