Neymar Trial Suspended After Spanish High Court Judge Accepts Barcelona Appeal

The trial against Barcelona over Neymar's transfer from Santos has been suspended by the Spanish High Court after appeals made by the club, current president Josep Maria Bartomeu and former president Sandro Rosell were accepted. 

Per Luis F. Rojo in Marca, the public prosecution office and State Legal Service have been told by the judge they will have to present new arguments and evidence if the trial is to be reopened.

A statement released on Thursday night from Barcelona confirmed that none of the defendants will now face trial over allegations of defrauding the Spanish authorities in Neymar's 2013 transfer to the Camp Nou, via Goal's Joe Wright: "From this new situation, it arises that FC Barcelona, president Bartomeu and ex-president Rosell are no longer accused in this case."

Per Rojo, the club, Bartomeu and Rosell remain "under investigation," but they are no longer defendants in the case.

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

The case has been transferred from a Madrid court to Barcelona.  

The allegations against them centred around the fee that was allegedly paid for Neymar.

Per BBC News, Barca said they paid €57 million (£43 million) for the Brazilian forward, but investigators claimed part of the fee had been concealed to avoid paying tax on it, and the total sum was actually €83 million (£64.5 million).

Prosecutors had been calling for Bartomeu to be sentenced to two years and three months in prison, Rosell to seven-and-a-half years and a €22.2 million (£17.3 million) fine to be levied against Barca, per Football Espana.

A separate case involving Brazilian investment fund DIS, which claims it was entitled to 40 per cent of Neymar's fee and was thus damaged by any concealment of funds paid, continues, per Wright.