Barcelona news: Spanish National Court re-opens fraud case against Neymar

Neymar was convicted of tax fraud earlier this year

Following a successful appeal from the Spanish prosecutors, the Spanish National Court re-opened a fraud case against Brazilian superstar Neymar and his father on Friday. Earlier in July, Judge Jose de la Mata had closed the fraud case against the footballer and his father commenting it was an issue for the Civil Court and not for the Criminal Court.

However, the Spanish prosecutors appealed to the National Court that there was more than enough evidence to keep this case open. According to the prosecutors, the Brazilian superstar and his father both knew about the fraudulent dealings between Barcelona and Santos and the ‘detriment of DIS’, a Brazilian investment company who owned 40 percent of the footballer’s sports right back at that time. 

Judge Angela Murillo Bordallo ruled in the favour of the prosecutors on Friday.

The Spanish Court’s decision was a blow to both Barcelona and Neymar who hoped for an end to this affair in July when the case was closed. "FC Barcelona expresses its disagreement with the reasoning included in this decision," the Catalan club’s issued statement said.

"In the trial, FC Barcelona will maintain the version of events it has always defended throughout the process and prove the innocence of all those investigated,” the statement continued. 

Neymar and his father along with the current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell will be testifying in front of the Court in February. 

According to the prosecutors, Neymar’s real transfer amount was in the region of €83 million because of several agreements between DIS and both the clubs. However, Barcelona published the transfer amount as €57.1 million of which the major portion went to the player’s family. Neymar’s former club Santos just received €17 million, of which €6.8 million were claimed by DIS. 

DIS has claimed that a pre-transfer contract was signed between Neymar and Barcelona which affected the player’s transfer value in the process. Neymar’s father, who also acts as his son’s agent appeared in front of the Court and denied any wrongdoing with Neymar’s transfer.

Neymar is the third Blaugrana player to be convicted of tax fraud. Barcelona’s Argentine defender Javier Mascherano and Argentine superstar Lionel Messi were also convicted by the Spanish Court for Tax Fraud. 

Mascherano agreed to a one-year suspended sentence as punishment earlier this year whereas Lionel Messi and his father were given a 21-month-long jail sentence. Messi is currently appealing against the punishment and it is likely to be overruled.