CNN
—
Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar Jr. said in a Barcelona court on Tuesday that he was not involved in the negotiations that sent him from Santos to FC Barcelona in 2013, according to Reuters.
“I didn’t take part in the negotiations,” Neymar said. “My dad has always taken care of it and always will. I sign everything he tells me to sign. Playing for Barcelona has always been my dream, a childhood dream.”
The 30-year-old, alongside his parents, former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, representatives of both clubs and Santos president Odilio Rodrigues, face charges of fraud and corruption over the transfer .
All nine defendants have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, according to Reuters.
Neymar’s father, Neymar da Silva Santos, testified: “Our intention was to prepare a career plan for him in Europe, in which we had already set up, could learn the language, etc. And knowing his dream of playing for Barcelona, we signed this priority agreement with them.
The case has been brought by a Brazilian investment company DIS, which owns 40% of Neymar’s rights while he was at Santos, which alleges his transfer to Barcelona was undervalued.
Spanish prosecutors are pursuing a two-year prison sentence and a $9.8 million fine for Neymar as well as a five-year prison sentence for Rosell.
