Neymar faces calls for a five-year prison sentence from DIS for alleged fraud and corruption charge

Neymar is facing calls for a prison sentence of five years over charges of corruption and fraud. 

The 30-year-old is set to appear in court next week on charges relating to his £49.6million (€57.1m) switch from Santos to Barcelona in 2013. 

Brazilian investment firm DIS believe the now-PSG star’s move from Santos was undervalued, leading them to lose out having bought 40 per cent of the rights to the player for £1.7m (€2m) when he was 17.

Neymar joined Barcelona from Brazilian side Santos back in 2013 for £49.6million (€57.1m)

And although Neymar has denied the accusations, he must appear in court in person for the first day of the trial next week, after losing an appeal in Spain’s High Court in 2017. 

As a result the claim has been brought by Spanish prosecutors, though it is unclear how much of the trial – which could last two weeks – the 30-year-old will have to attend. 

But the Brazilian is not alone in facing the accusations. The other defendants in the case are both Barcelona and Santos, former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell – who has also denied any wrongdoing – their counterpart at Santos Odilio Rodrigues, and Neymar’s parents.

However Brazilian investment firm DIS claim that other clubs were willing to pay a higher fee

The Catalan giants claimed that at the time, Neymar’s transfer fee was £49.6m (€57.1m), and that the fee was paid to both the player’s family and to Santos. 

His parents received £34.8m (€40m) of the fee, with the rest going to the Brazilian club, of which DIS received 40 percent. 

However the investment firm are claiming that Barcelona rejected higher offers, and their lawyer Paulo Nesser said on Thursday: ‘Neymar’s rights have not been sold to the highest bidder.

Josep Maria Bartomeu (L) is also facing calls for a prison sentence and a fine for his alleged role

‘There were clubs that offered up to £52.2m (€60m).’

Neymar left Barcelona for a world record transfer of £200m to PSG in 2017

As well as demanding a five-year incarceration for the player, DIS are also requesting a £129.6m (€149m) fine for Bartomeu and Rosell, as well as an additional prison sentence. 

However the Spanish prosecutors who are bringing the case want only a two-year term and £8.7m (€10m) fine for Neymar, and five-years for Rosell as well as a £7.3m (€8.4m) fine for Barca.

But Neymar’s family lawyers, Baker McKenzie have issued a statement of their own, which dictates that the transfer broke no FIFA laws, and that the alleged crimes are not punishable in the forward’s home country. 

They also claimed the Spanish courts ‘lack jurisdiction‘ to try the case as the supposed crimes took place on Brazilian soil, and that the family is charged with ‘corruption between private individuals’.

These charges would refer to competition between companies for a product or services – neither of which apply to a football player, they argue.