Neymar trial set to take place in Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Jr. continues to be linked to his former club, FC Barcelona, albeit in not so pleasant ways. As of late, Neymar and the Catalan club have often been in the headlines due to their ongoing string of legal battles.

In the latest update on what is now known as the "Caso Neymar 2" or Neymar's second case, it has been revealed that a trial is set to take place in Barcelona. This is significant because Brazilian company DIS, one of the parties involved in the legal proceedings, had appealed for the trial to be held in Madrid.

However, the Spanish supreme court's criminal division has ruled that the trial must take place in the provincial court in Barcelona. According to Marca, the unsuccessful appeal to hold the trial at the Spanish capital means that DIS will incur more costs as they attend the proceedings.

The "Caso Neymar 2" stems all the way back to 2013, when Neymar first moved to Barcelona from Brazil. He was signed by the Catalan giants from Brazilian club Santos at a time when DIS owned the player's rights.

In the case, DIS claims that they were not paid as much as they should have been, after information later leaked about the alleged real cost of the Brazilian's transfer. The deal was made between the club and Neymar's father, who has always acted as his de facto agent. DIS believes that the true figure of the deal has been concealed from them, resulting in a much lower payout than they should have been entitled to.

Several years after Neymar left the Camp Nou to play for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, the legal issues tying him to Barcelona are still unresolved. He himself has initiated legal proceedings against the club in relation to unpaid bonuses.

In a recent interview, former Barcelona sporting director Eric Albidal claimed that one of the reason why the club never signed Neymar back amid much clamour was because of the legal battles between the player and the club.