La Liga

Neymar to stand trial on corruption charges

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:59 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated via Planet Futbol

Barcelona striker Neymar lost his final appeal and will stand trial on corruption charges related to his transfer to Barcelona.

Barcelona, Brazilian club Santos, Neymar's father and the family company N&N will also stand trial after their appeals were rejected Monday by Spain's high court.

The case was brought in 2013 when a Brazilian investment group, DIS, made a complaint against Neymar which said it received a smaller compensation because as part of the transfer fee from Santos. Sandro Rosell resigned as Barcelona FC's president in 2014 after the scandal was made public.

DIS claimed it is due a 40% cut of that transfer fee.

Barcelona said that Neymar's transfer fee was €57.1m, in which €17.1m was to be paid to Santos and the remaining money going to N&N. Spanish authorities say that the transfer was almost $40 million more than reported with DIS receiving only €6.8 million.

A two-year prison sentence and a nearly $10 million is recommended for Neymar and his father. Prosecutors also seek to collect fines of $9 million from Barcelona and $7 million from Santos.

- Scooby Axson

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