The judge who oversees the investigation into alleged offenses involving Brazilian striker Neymar's move to Barcelona in 2013 said the Paris Saint-Germain striker could face a prison sentence for years.
Neymar and his team, Barcelona's current president Josep Maria Bartomio and his predecessor, Sandro Rosell, are awaiting trial on charges of "corruption" in a deal that included the striker from his former club Santos in 2013.
The case was opened on the basis of a complaint filed by the Brazilian DIES group, which owned part of the rights of the player, after considering itself damaged by the move to the Catalan club.
Judge Jose Maria Vasquez Honrubia said Wednesday that, according to the Brazilian group's accusation of corruption and fraud, the punishment that may be imposed on Neymar may range from 4 to 6 years.
Bartomeo and Roselle are also to be brought before the courts for the crime of "cheating", as is the former president of Santos Club, Odilio RodrÃguez Filho.
The investigation began in January 2014 after a discrepancy was found in some of the documents requested by the authorities.
FC Barcelona initially agreed to pay 57.1 million euros (40 million for the player's family and 17.1 for his former club Santos), in exchange for his services, but in the accounts of the Spanish judiciary, the value of the deal amounted to at least 83 million.
The DIES group, which received 6 million euros from the amount paid to the Brazilian club, said Barcelona and Neymar had agreed to hide the real value of the deal.
In the summer of 2017, Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, in a deal worth 222 million euros, making him the most expensive player in football history.
