Neymar ordered to pay Barcelona £6 million after losing bonus dispute

Neymar Jr. has been ordered to pay FC Barcelona £6 million (€6.7 million) after losing a case he lodged against his former employers due to a bonus dispute. On Friday, a judge ruled in favour of FC Barcelona, stating that the player breached his contract when he signed a record-breaking deal with Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

The case is centred around a renewal bonus that was included in the last contract between Neymar and Barcelona, which was signed in 2016. The player was entitled to receive £38.9 million (€43 million) for the renewal. He received only a fraction of that bonus (£12.6m, €14m) before signing with PSG in 2017 for a whopping €222 million.

The Brazilian forward then decided to sue Barcelona for the remaining amount. The club decided to counter with a lawsuit of their own, stating that Neymar breached his contract by terminating it prematurely. On top of that, they also wanted to be compensated for damages to the tune of €8.5 million.

According to the ruling obtained by ESPN, the judge decided that Neymar was indeed in breach of his contract for leaving "without just cause." Hence, instead of receiving the rest of the renewal bonus that he was chasing, the PSG forward is now the one who owes his former club.

The decision will not be a good sign for those who had been wanting to see the Brazilian back at the Camp Nou. Speculations about his possible return had been making the rounds every time a transfer window approaches. The breakdown of the relationship with the club over this case may have dashed any hope of a comeback.

Neymar has ten days to lodge an appeal if he wishes to take the fight to the next level. However, any further decisions will not likely mend his relationship with the Blaugrana. In a statement, the club has assured that are ready for the appeal. "Since the player's representative is entitled to appeal this decision, the club shall continue to fervently defend its legitimate interests."

Meanwhile, Neymar and the rest of PSG have seen their season end prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While most other leagues in Europe have resumed, Ligue 1 has decided to end the season and hand PSG the title based on a points-per-game system.