Neymar Jr. is acquitted by a Spanish court in a case involving his transfer to Barcelona

A Spanish court announced on Tuesday (the 13th) that Neymar Jr., his parents, NN Consultoria, and officials from Santos and Barcelona were acquitted in the case in which they were accused of alleged irregularities in the transfer from the Brazilian club to Barcelona in 2013.

In October of this year, the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office itself—based on the evidence—had already dropped the charges against the athlete. At that time, the prosecution also requested that all defendants involved in the case be acquitted, a decision that has now been upheld by the court.

The statement issued by the Barcelona Court of First Instance states: “The court has acquitted Neymar and the other defendants of charges of corruption involving private matters and fraud.”

The initial charges against Neymar Jr., his family members, and club officials were based exclusively on the one-sided, subjective, and biased accounts provided by the DIS group, which were completely rejected following the regular preliminary investigation. In addition to the complete failure of the case, the private prosecutor, the DIS group, was also ordered to pay court costs to all those who had been wrongfully accused.

The ruling issued by the Spanish courts is in line with the position previously taken by FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest authorities in soccer. Both had already ruled, recognizing the legality of the transfer, in a final, binding, and res judicata decision.

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OFFICIAL STATEMENT – February 13, 2022

Neymar Jr. was acquitted by a Spanish court in a case involving his transfer to Barcelona

The Spanish court announced on Tuesday (the 13th) that Neymar Jr., his parents, the company NN Consultoria, as well as officials from Santos and Barcelona, were all acquitted in the case in which they were accused of alleged irregularities in the transfer from the Brazilian club to Barcelona back in 2013.

In October of this year, the Spanish public prosecutor’s office itself—based on the evidence—had already dropped all charges against the athlete. At that time, the prosecution requested that all defendants involved in the case be acquitted, a decision that has now been upheld by the court.

The statement released by the Barcelona Court of First Instance states: “The court has acquitted Neymar and the others charged with corruption between individuals and fraud.”

The initial charges against Neymar Jr., his family, and the directors were based solely on one-sided, individual, and biased accounts from the DIS group, which were completely dismissed following a full investigation. In addition to the complete failure of the case, the DIS group—the party that brought the charges—was also ordered to pay the legal costs of all individuals who were wrongfully accused.

The ruling issued by the Spanish court is consistent with the position already taken by FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the supreme authorities in the world of soccer. Both organizations had previously issued statements recognizing the legality of the transfer in a final, binding decision (res judicata).