Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar / AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE
Former Santos president Luis Álvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has made shocking allegations about the negotiations that led to Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona in 2013, claiming the deal included unusual demands from the Brazilian forward’s father, Neymar Sr.
Neymar joined Barcelona from Santos in a transfer reportedly worth €90 million, with his father and agent playing a key role in negotiating the move.
According to Daily Star, a British tabloid newspaper on Tuesday, Ribeiro said the negotiations involved several requests, including free coffee, private air travel and an alleged orgy at a hotel in London’s Piccadilly area.
Speaking about his dealings with Neymar Sr, the former Santos chief claimed that the father frequently expected the club to cover his expenses.
“The €90 million included coffees for Neymar’s father, as well as an orgy in a hotel in Piccadilly, London, because Neymar’s father was looking to claim everything,” Ribeiro alleged.
He also claimed to have paid for approximately 200 coffees consumed by Neymar Sr during their meetings.
Ribeiro further alleged that a plane was arranged to take Neymar Sr to Florianópolis to watch Brazil’s national team play.
The former president also criticised what he described as demands for luxury travel arrangements in subsequent contracts, claiming Neymar Sr sought first-class flights for himself and business-class seats for two advisers when travelling to watch his son play away from home.
Neymar’s move to Barcelona was one of the most talked-about transfers in football at the time, with reports suggesting his father received substantial payments connected to the agreement.
Neymar Sr was reportedly paid around £8.9 million following a pre-contract agreement with Barcelona in 2011, with a further £35.8 million allegedly received when the transfer was completed in 2013.
However, the deal later attracted legal scrutiny after Brazilian investment group DIS accused Neymar, his father and other parties of corruption and fraud.
DIS claimed it was entitled to 40 per cent of the transfer-related rights it held in Neymar while he was playing for Santos, arguing that the terms of the Barcelona deal had deprived the company of money it was owed.
The legal proceedings also involved former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, alongside other representatives connected to the transfer.
Neymar and the other defendants were ultimately acquitted in the Spanish proceedings, bringing the criminal case to a close.
Despite the controversy surrounding the transfer, Neymar went on to establish himself as one of football’s biggest stars, later moving from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 in a record-breaking deal.