King of bling Neymar untarnished by transfer scandal
Barcelona:Sporting earrings shades and posing for selfies with devoted fans Brazilian superstar Neymar's swagger was better suited to the red carpet than a grilling from Spain's highest court on the growing scandal of how his transfer from Santos to Barcelona came about in 2013.
Neymar endured the toughest 90 minutes of his season as he and his father were interrogated by a judge on Tuesday over their role in the complicated web of contracts that sealed the transfer after a complaint of fraud and corruption by Brazilian investment fund DIS.
His biggest legal battle may yet come back at home though as Brazilian prosecutors have also filed tax fraud and forgery allegations.
Yet Brazil's golden boy who is expected to captain his country on home soil at the Rio Olympics later this year remains one of sport's most marketable assets according to industry experts.
Major sponsors have flocked to the 23-year-old's door for his good looks happy-go-lucky nature and silky skills with Nike Gillette Panasonic and Volkswagen among Neymar's big name brands.
"Neymar's legal problems could affect his image in one way or another but not to the point of breaking contracts or losing sponsors" Erich Beting director of Maquina do Esporte and an expert in football marketing in Brazil told AFP.
"Neymar has had a teflon-like ability since the beginning of his career."
The $17 million dollars he raked in from sponsors outweighed the $14 million he made from Barca in 2015 according to Forbes magazine drawing comparisons with David Beckham.
"He is someone that everyone knows from the 70-year-old grandmother to the five-year-old grandson" continues Beting.
"When you reach the status where people want to be like you that makes you priceless for brands and that is what he has managed."
Neymar's deeply religious and family orientated values are also a magnet for sponsors.
His four-year-old son Davi Lucca is often seen with his father at the Camp Nou on matchdays whilst he has a giant tattoo of his sister Rafaella's face on his right arm.
However it is his father and agent Neymar Sr a former mechanic who has drawn the attention of judicial authorities in Spain and Brazil as well as accusations he has hijacked his son's success for his own financial gain.
"My father is doing everything to ensure that I can just focus on playing football. He handles the books but in the moment when you see someone you love suffering it starts to hurt" Neymar told Brazilian TV station Globo on Sunday.
AFP