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Spanish prosecutors request 2-year jail sentence for Neymar in fraud case
Under Spanish law, that means he’s unlikely to ever step foot in a prison.
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images
Neymar appears to be in some hot water after Spanish prosecutors requested a two-year jail sentence for Neymar in his fraud case. but he’s almost certainly not going to jail, even if he’s convicted. Here’s how this all happened.
When Neymar moved to Barcelona in 2013, the club and Neymar’s representatives allegedly excluded an investment company that had a stake in Neymar’s playing rights. In a practice that was once very common, but is no longer allowed under FIFA rules, Brazilian investment fund DIS bought 40 percent of Neymar. They claim that Barcelona then dealt directly with Santos FC and Neymar’s representatives, and that they were never paid their fair share.
DIS petitioned the court for a five-year sentence for Neymar, which the prosecutor knocked down to two years. This is important because sentences under two years can be suspended for first-time offenders. This is what happened to Neymar’s teammates, Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano, in their tax fraud cases. Both were handed suspended jail sentences and will never set foot in a jail as long as they don’t commit another crime. Short sentences also were recommended for Neymar’s parents in the case, so they also are unlikely to serve time if convicted.
Current president Jose Maria Bartomeu is named in the case as well, but the prosecutor has asked that no charges be brought against him because of a lack of evidence. The person in the most potential trouble is former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, who prosecutors are seeking an eight-year sentence for.
Goal of the day
In the news
Bruce Arena is the new USMNT head coach. (U.S. Soccer)
Arena has walked back previous negative comments about foreign-trained players, saying that he wants anyone who is eligible to play for the USMNT. (ESPN FC)
A day after he talked about conquering MLS, Manchester United extended Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s contract. (BBC)
Didier Drogba will not extend his contract with the Montreal Impact. It’s unknown if he wants to move on to another club or coaching. (MLS)
Manuel Neuer is out for Bayern Munich on Wednesday, but should be fine for the weekend. (Bild)
Moise Kean is the first player born in the 2000s to play in the UEFA Champions League. (Gazzetta)
Vincent Kompany’s Manchester City career is in trouble after he suffered his 35th knee injury. (Telegraph)
You should be reading
Kelly Naqi on the true story of Ali Dia’s life and career. (Bleacher Report)
Aaron Gordon on our willingness to buy the snake oil that Jurgen Klinsmann was selling. (Vice)
Doug McIntyre on why Bruce Arena is the right hire for the USMNT. (ESPN FC)
What happened on Tuesday
What to watch on Wednesday (Click for listings, all times ET)
Champions League: 8 games (from noon) -- There are two early games, though neither is particularly interesting. The big game of the day is Arsenal-PSG at 2:45 p.m.
Liga MX: 2 games (from 8:30 p.m.) -- Liguilla playoffs get underway on Wednesday night.
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