“Playing for Barcelona has been my childhood dream,” said Neymar. “However, I never discussed the transfer. My father was and always will be responsible for this. After that, I always signed what he told me,” he added.
The Spanish authorities are asking Neymar for two years of imprisonment and ten million euros in compensation for tax evasion in the amount of 8.4 million euros. Investment firm DIS wants another three years in prison and a compensation of 150 million euros.
The company owned 40% of the transfer rights but received less money than they owed after Neymar’s transfer because Barcelona allegedly falsified the transfer fee. Officially, the Catalan club paid 57 million, but it was later revealed that it was almost 83 million.
Neymar’s lawyers also said today that they will try to stop the trial in Spain. They argue that the judiciary does not have sufficient authority because it is a crime committed by a Brazilian citizen in Brazil.
