Barcelona have announced an end to the unique legal battle with former player Neymar who erupted in the wake of the 2017 Brazilian world record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, with both sides losing their claims against the other.
Neymar sensationally ended Camp Nou when PSG released a € 222 million release clause to make him the most expensive player of all time. The very public split left a sour taste in the mouths of both parties and eventually triggered several legal challenges and counterclaims.
Neymar sued the club for an unpaid loyalty bonus which he considered he was entitled to relate to a new contract he signed in 2016. But Barça in turn sued the player and claimed a breach of contract.
A court eventually ruled in favor of the club in June 2020, rejected Neymar’s claim and ordered the Brazilian to pay his former employers an amount of 6.7 million euros.
Neymar’s transfer to PSG 2017 triggered many legal challenges between the player and Barcelona / AFP Contributor / Getty Images
A separate lawsuit had been initiated by Neymar in February 2020 over “contingency payments” for which he was personally responsible for helping secure his 2013 transfer from Santos.
Towards the end of 2020, Barça launched a new case against Neymar, believing that they had overpaid the player by more than € 10 million after looking back at their 2015 financial records.
A total of three manpower and one civil case between the parties have remained until now, all of which have been lost following an out-of-court agreement. The club has described the situation as “friendly”.
Neymar played 186 times in four years as a Barça player, scoring 105 goals and winning two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
He has already been at PSG for four years and recently signed a new contract until 2025.
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