Spain’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the acquittal of former Barcelona player Neymar, as well as former club presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, on charges of fraud and corruption stemming from the 2013 transfer of the Brazil star from his boyhood club, Santos.
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Chamber on Wednesday said it rejected the appeal filed against the 2022 ruling from the Barcelona Provincial Court, which had previously determined that no crime was committed during the acquisition of the player.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the established facts demonstrate “the inconsistency of the prosecution’s case.”
“There was no corruption in the business dealings, nor any improper fraud, not on the part of the player, his representatives, or FC Barcelona,” the Supreme Court ruling said.
Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a €10 million ($9.95m) fine in the case brought by Brazilian investment firm DIS, which owned 40% of the rights to Neymar when he was at Santos.
DIS had argued that it lost out on its rightful cut from the transfer because the true value was understated.
DIS received €6.8m — 40% of Neymar’s official transfer price of €17.1m — but Barral said the figure was unrealistic given the player’s valuation.
Mikel Arteta’s eldest son made his competitive debut for Arsenal‘s under-18s on Wednesday when they beat Reading 3-0 at Bearwood Park.
Gabriel Arteta Bernal came off the bench in the 70th minute in a game that was one by a goal from Emerson Nwaneri (Ethan Nwaneri‘s 15-year-old brother) and a brace from Alex Marciniak.
Arteta’s son, 16, had previously been named on the bench for the U18s friendly against Ipswich Town in February.
His appearance comes six months after he made his competitive debut for the U17s in their Premier League Cup meeting with Watford in October.
His appearance comes six months after he made his competitive debut for the U17s in their Premier League Cup meeting with Watford in October.
Mikel Arteta’s eldest son is looking to follow in his father’s footsteps at Arsenal. aasg/photo
Unlike the Arsenal boss who operated in central midfield for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Everton and the Gunners, Gabriel is seen as a winger.
Meanwhile, QPR’s head of emerging talent, Dean Barker, has announced he has joined the recruitment team at Arsenal’s academy.
He has spent time working as a PE teacher at the same school that produced Arsenal academy product Ethan Nwaneri who is spending the season on loan at Marseille after struggling for minutes amid Arsenal’s Premier League title charge.
