“We are calm and confident that justice will be done”, said Barcelona spokesman Josep Vives.
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The Brazilian is now being probed by Spanish courts over fraud allegations while prosecutors in Brazil are recommending that he should be charged over four counts of fraud in relation to a tax case prior to his transfer to Barcelona in 2013.
Neymar is such a prospect whose inclusion in a team will not only boost the club’s performance but will also boost the fan morale. The player signed an autograph in front of a group of photographers before giving the thumbs-up and entering court, where he stayed an hour and a half. Barcelona valued the transfer at about €57 million (S$89 million), but Spanish authorities think it added up to more than €83 million.
Wearing jeans and sunglasses, Neymar seemed relaxed as he arrived at Spain’s National Court in Madrid with his father Neymar da Silva Santos, who was also called to testify before an investigating judge. “But in the moment when you see someone you love suffering, it starts to hurt”.
DIS held 40 percent of the 23-year-old’s sporting rights when he played at Santos, and has claimed it was cheated of its real share of the transfer due to parallel contracts that Barcelona and Santos allegedly used to hide the total cost.
Investigators allege the forward paid a rate of just 12.53% after money was channelled into the companies owned by his father, Neymar Sr.
“If we committed any tax error then tell us, but to accuse us of tax evasion or falsifying documents goes beyond the limits”.
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Last week a Sao Paulo judge ordered Neymar and his father to pay almost 460,000 reais (115,000 United States dollars) for taxes owed from 2007 and 2008. He also finished third in the race for Ballon d’Or this year.
