Neymar has been told that he will stand trial on fraud and corruption charges relating to his transfer to Barcelona four years ago after losing his final appeal against the ruling.
The charges relate to the player’s £48.6 million transfer to the Camp Nou from Brazilian club, Santos, in the summer of 2013.
Neymar’s mother, Nadine Goncalves, and the family company, N&N, also had their appeals rejected, and they cannot appeal against the Spanish High Court’s decision.
The court said in a statement: “Santos FC, Barcelona FC, Neymar, his mother Nadine Goncalves and N&N, the family company, have lost their appeals to have charges of fraud and corruption dropped.”
Prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison sentence and a fine of nearly £8 million for Neymar on corruption charges, according to ESPN, although he is unlikely to face jail time if found guilty because he would be a first-time offender.
The case stems from a complaint by Brazilian investment group, DIS, which owned part of Neymar’s transfer rights and alleges that it received less money than it was entitled to when the player made the switch.
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