By Andrew Kariuki

Spain’s Supreme Court has upheld the acquittal of Brazilian footballer Neymar and former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell in a long-running corruption case linked to the player’s 2013 transfer to the Spanish club.

In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, the court dismissed an appeal filed by Brazilian investment firm DIS, which had challenged an earlier decision that cleared all the accused of wrongdoing.

DIS had argued that it suffered financial losses during Neymar’s move from Santos FC to Barcelona, claiming it owned 40% of the player’s sporting rights at the time and was not fully informed about the structure of the deal.

The firm further alleged that the true value of the transfer had been concealed and pointed to a 2011 exclusivity agreement between Neymar and Barcelona that it said was not disclosed.

However, Spain’s top court rejected the claims, stating that the evidence did not support the accusations.

“The proven facts have revealed the inconsistency of the accusation,” the court said.

“There was neither an offence of corruption in business dealings nor improper fraud, neither by the player, his representatives nor FC Barcelona,” it added.

The court further noted that the transfer was ultimately a sporting decision made by Barcelona, which sought to secure Neymar’s signing amid competition from other clubs.

“It was all due to a sporting decision by the club, which wanted to ensure his signing and then decided to bring it forward,” the ruling stated.

The case dates back to 2015 when DIS filed a complaint seeking to recover €35 million it claimed it had lost from the transfer.

According to Barcelona, the deal was valued at €57.1 million, with €40 million paid to N&N, a company owned by Neymar’s parents, and €17.1 million paid to Santos FC, of which €6.8 million went to DIS.

All defendants, including Neymar, his parents, Santos FC, its former president Odilio Rodrigues Filho, and N&N, had previously been acquitted in 2022.

Prosecutors had initially sought a two-year jail term and a €10 million fine for Neymar, but later dropped all corruption and fraud charges against the accused.

Separately, a tax-related case arising from the same transfer was resolved in 2016 after Barcelona agreed to pay a €5.5 million fine in a settlement with Spanish authorities.

The Supreme Court’s decision now brings the long-running dispute to a close.