Perez At The Neymar Session: Players Go To Wherever They Are Wanting And He Wants To Go To Barca
JAKARTA - Florentino Perez testified at the Neymar trial on Tuesday. The Paris Saint-Germain star was charged with corruption charges and transfer fraud of former Barcelona President Sandro Rosell.
Quoting Marca, Rosell was accused of corruption over the deal to bring Neymar Jr to Barcelona in 2013. The Brazilian investment company, DIS, as the owner of some of Neymar's transfer rights complained because he felt he received less money than had been agreed upon.
Meanwhile in court, after admitting that Real Madrid made an offer to the Brazilian striker while still playing for Santos, Perez was reluctant to elaborate. He constantly referred to the fact that all operations were carried out by the club director, stressing that he did not intervene at all.
"[The offer Real Madrid made] is 45 million, as reflected in the summary," Perez was quoted as saying by Marca on Wednesday.
"We were interested in that player ten years ago. I know through the sporting director that he wants to leave Santos. I'm not talking to anyone."
Then, Perez was asked why the Brazilian striker decided to refuse an offer made by Real Madrid.
"The players go wherever they want and Neymar wants to go to Barcelona and that's why he went there," said Perez.
Perez at the Neymar Session: Players Go to Wherever They Are Wanting and He Wants to go to Barca
Prosecutors then wanted to know what Perez's relationship with Brazilian investment firm DIS was, which accused Barcelona and Santos of making plans to prevent them from accepting the full amount of finances they were entitled to from transferring.
Asked if he had met with DIS representatives in the past, Perez was very shy.
"If you meet DIS? I don't know," said Perez.
"I don't remember anything about it. I didn't participate in anything. Everything is in the case file. If we don't respond to the letter they sent us, it's because we have nothing to say."