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French Ligue 1

Neymar tells court did not participate in Barcelona transfer talks

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Brazil’s Neymar to stand trial in a corruption case over his transfer to FC Barcelona – Barcelona Court, Barcelona, Spain – October 17, 2022 Brazil’s Neymar leaves court after standing trial on fraud and corruption charges over the transfer to FC Barcelona from Santos in 2013 REUTERS/Nacho Doce TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Brazil soccer star Neymar Jr told a court on Tuesday he did not participate in negotiations over his transfer to “childhood dream” club Barcelona from Santos in 2013, but had signed what his father had told him to.

Along with Neymar, 30, eight other defendants are on trial on fraud and corruption charges over the transfer, including his parents, representatives of the two clubs, former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues.

All the defendants have denied any wrongdoing.

“I didn’t participate in the negotiations. My father always took care of it and always will. I sign everything he tells me to sign,” Neymar told the court in Barcelona in his first testimony in the trial that began on Monday.

“Playing for Barcelona was always my dream, a childhood dream.”

The case centres on an allegation made by Brazilian investment firm DIS, which owned 40% of the rights to Neymar when he was at Brazil’s Santos, that it lost out on its rightful cut from the transfer because the value of the deal was understated.

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Spanish prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison term and a 10 million euro ($9.8 million) fine for Neymar. They are also seeking a five-year jail term for Rosell and an 8.4 million euro fine for Barcelona.

A court document released in July alleges that Barcelona initiated negotiations on Nov. 15, 2011, with the player, paying him 40 million euros to ensure his move when his contract with Santos expired in 2014 and thereby preventing other clubs from signing him.

“Our intention was to prepare a career plan for him in Europe, in which we had in place already established, could learn the language, etc. And knowing his dream to play for Barcelona, we signed that priority agreement with them,” the player’s father, Neymar da Silva Santos, told the court.

None of the defendants who are representatives or former figures at the clubs have yet given evidence. Neymar and his parents had the right not to testify but decided to do so.

Neymar’s lawyers say that competition rules relate to products and services and do not apply to the transfer market.

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The court later heard from André Cury, Barca’s former point man in Brazil, whose testimony as a witness on the negotiations over the player was expected to be key for the case.

Cury said Barcelona had asked Neymar’s father to get a letter from Santos authorising the player to start negotiations with the Spanish club.

He said Barcelona agreed to advancing a 10 million euro loan to Neymar’s parents in 2011 from what he called an insurance contract that would oblige Neymar to pay 40 million euros to Barcelona in the case he decided to sign with another club.

Neymar and his parents were excused from staying for the rest of the trial, which is expected to last until Monday.

Neymar is expected on Wednesday to resume training with Paris St Germain, which he joined in 2017. The team face Ajaccio on Friday, before hosting Maccabi Haifa in a Champions League game on Oct. 25.

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-Reuters

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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French Ligue 1

Sacked former Cote d’ivoire coach, Gasset announces retirement as Marseille manager

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Europa League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Atalanta v Olympique de Marseille - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - May 9, 2024 Olympique de Marseille coach Jean-Louis Gasset reacts REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Jean-Louis Gasset who was sacked by Cote d’Ivoire after the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations last January has announced his retirement as  a coach of Olympique de Marseille.

 He will take charge of his last game on Sunday before retiring from management, the 70-year-old said on Friday.

Gasset was appointed as interim manager by the Ligue 1 club in February after the sacking of Gennaro Gattuso, and Marseille are eight in the standings going into their final Ligue 1 game of the season at Le Havre.

“Sunday will be the last match of my career,” Gasset told a press conference.

“That I stay in football, that my experience, my ideas and my networks are used is a possibility. I don’t know how to garden, I won’t have anything to do. But as a coach, it’s over.”

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The Frenchman’s previous job was with Ivory Coast from which he was sacked after the team’s poor performances in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage. They scraped through as the last lucky losers before going on to win the tournament on home soil.

-Reuters

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French Ligue 1

Departing Mbappe backs good friend Dembele to become Ligue 1’s best

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Sealed And Delivered! Mbappe Has Already Signed Contract With Real Madrid -

Kylian Mbappe has backed winger Ousmane Dembele to be a success at Paris St Germain and fill his boots after he exits the club, as he won his fifth successive Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.

France captain Mbappe, 25, last week announced that he will leave the French champions at the end of the season after a seven-year stay, during which he became their all-time top scorer with 256 goals.

Mbappe’s frustration lies with PSG’s performances in the Champions League, a trophy they have never lifted despite huge investment in the squad. He has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are in the final this year seeking a 15th European crown.

His 26-year-old compatriot Dembele joined the Parisian club, who have won 10 of the last 12 Ligue 1 titles, from LaLiga side Barcelona in August last year, signing a five-year deal.

“I have shared and played with incredible players, like Dembele who is here, he is a friend and one day he will pick up this award,” Mbappe said on Monday at the award ceremony.

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“I thank the club as a whole, the coach, who has helped me and trusted me, his staff, the doctors, all the people at the club, the sporting management, the president, the shareholders of the club, of course, the Emir of Qatar who came to find me at the age of 18, who has accompanied me in all my decisions…”

He said his next chapter is going to be very exciting but did not reveal any further details.

“Now I’m turning the page in my life. Everything that comes next is super exciting, but that’s another subject,” Mbappe said.

“Thank you all, I’m going to miss you. I have always tried to do my best, and I also want to thank my family, who have always been with me in good times and bad.

“My father, who is here, I know that it was very important to him that I made history in Ligue 1 before I left and I think that with humility I have done everything you wanted.”

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-Reuters

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French Ligue 1

Mbappe Set To Quit PSG –

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Sealed And Delivered! Mbappe Has Already Signed Contract With Real Madrid -

France captain Kylian Mbappe has informed Paris St Germain that he is leaving the club in July as a free agent seven years after joining them, The Athletic website reported on Thursday.

Mbappe, a member of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning team, signed for PSG from Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros ($194 million) to become the second most expensive player ever after Brazilian Neymar, who joined the French champions the same year for 222 million euros.

“Mbappe has communicated his decision to PSG but the terms of his exit are yet to be fully agreed. An official announcement is expected once the situation is finalised in the next few months,” the report said.

The 25-year-old striker, who helped the capital club win five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups, is PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 243 goals in 290 appearances.

PSG have not responded to a request for comment.

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Mbappe last year sent a letter to PSG stating that he would not take up the option to extend his contract by a year when it expires in June.

He has long been linked with Real Madrid, reportedly rejecting a 200 million euro ($215.36 million) offer in 2021. He was again set for a move to the LaLiga side in 2022 before announcing a contract extension with PSG before the transfer window opened.

PSG, who lead the Ligue 1 standings by 11 points, host Nice on Friday.

-Reuters

 

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