PSG and Brazil forward Neymar Jr is set to face trial in Spain over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona.
The trial that opens in Barcelona on Monday, October 17, will investigate his 2013 transfer from Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona.
The 30-year-old Brazilian and his parents were accused of corruption.
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Investigations into the transfer transaction began in 2015 after a complaint by a Brazilian company, DIS, which owned 40 per cent of Neymar’s sporting rights while he was a player at Santos.
The prosecutor believes that the transfer fee quoted by Barcelona was inflated to indicate that Neymar cost the Spanish club at least Ksh9.7 billion (83 million euros). Barcelona had earlier stated that the transfer cost Ksh6.7 billion (57.1 million euros).
It thus paid Ksh4.7 billion (40 million euros) to N&N, a company owned by the Neymar family, and Ksh2 billion (17.1 million euros) to Santos, of which Ksh800 million (6.8 million euros) was given to DIS.
Two former Barcelona presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu and ex-Santos boss Odilio Rodrigues Filho are among nine defendants on trial over the charges.
Neymar's lawyers maintained that their client was innocent, adding that the Ksh4.7 billion (40 million euros) was a legal signing bonus in accordance with the football transfer rules.
The trial is expected to run until three weeks into the World Cup, where Neymar will lead his country in the battle for the coveted trophy.
Neymar is currently in his best form since he joined the French Club in 2017, having scored eight goals and seven assists in 10 matches in 2022/2023 Ligue 1.
If convicted, the PSG forward could face up to two years in jail and a Ksh1.2 billion (10 million euro) fine.