PSG star Neymar said in court on Tuesday that he knew little about negotiations and his father was always in charge of his contracts.
A trial is being held into fraud and corruption over his transfer from Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona in 2013.
Neymar and his father, who acts as his agent, were among those accused of concealing the real amount of the transfer from an investment group involved in the negotiations.
Neymar’s mother, former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu, and representatives of both club also were in court in the trial that began on Monday and was expected to last at least until next week.
Neymar testified for only a few minutes.
“My father handles everything,” he said. “I wasn’t involved in the negotiations. I only sign what he tells me to sign.”
Neymar said he heard rumors about other clubs wanting to sign him but his dream as a kid was always to play for Barcelona.
“In the end it was either (Real) Madrid or Barcelona, but I followed my heart and chose Barça,” he said.
Marca reports Investment group DIS was entitled to 40% of Neymar’s transfer but said it received a smaller compensation because part of the transfer fee was concealed. Prosecutors said those involved tried to hide the real amount of the transfer to pay a lower commission.
Prosecutors charged the 30-year-old Neymar and his father with corruption and asked for a prison sentence of up to two years, although any jail time up to that length would likely be suspended. Prosecutors also seek a fine of 10 million euros ($9.8 million) for Neymar and his father.
DIS accused Neymar and his father of corruption and fraud and asked for a five-year prison sentence, plus financial compensation.
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