Sharjah24: With the World Cup barely a month away, Brazilian superstar Neymar went on trial in Spain Monday over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona nearly a decade ago.
Wearing sunglasses and a dark suit, the 30-year-old waved to the press as he arrived at the Provincial Court of Barcelona with his parents who are also in the dock.
He will likely take the stand on Tuesday. The player had been set to testify on either October 21 or 28 but the judge agreed to bring forward his hearing to avoid a clash with his football commitments.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a 10-million-euro ($9.7 million) fine.
The high-profile trial is the culmination of a years-long legal saga over his 2013 transfer from the Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona.
He then joined Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain in a world record 222 million euro ($214 million) transfer in 2017.
Neymar, who arrived in Barcelona early on Monday, spent two hours at the court before he was excused by the judge for the rest of the day's hearing after his lawyers argued he needed to rest.
The player scored the winning goal against Marseille in a Ligue 1 match on Sunday night.
He is one of nine defendants on trial on corruption-related charges, among them his parents and their N&N company, which manages his affairs.
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