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Updated May 28th, 2021 at 14:34 IST

Neymar Nike contract terminated over PSG superstar's sexual assault allegations

Neymar Nike contract: The PSG star and apparel giant ended their association last year as the company investigated a sexual allegation case against Neymar.

Reported by: Arnold Dsouza
Neymar Nike contract
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Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar and sportswear giant Nike ended their association even before their deal expired last year, leaving fans rather shell-shocked. The 15-year relationship between Neymar and Nike officially ended towards the end of 2020, with the player later signing a deal with Puma. At the time, a spokeswoman for Neymar claimed that the deal with Nike ended for commercial reasons. However, Nike has now revealed that the decision to cut ties with Neymar stemmed from the Brazilian's failure to cooperate in an internal sexual assault investigation involving himself and an employee. 

What happened to Neymar Nike contract? Neymar Nike contract value details 

Three-time Ligue 1 winner Neymar had a lucrative £78.6 million sponsorship deal with Nike, which was due to run until 2022 but ended his partnership with the American brand in September 2020, before signing a money-spinning deal to become the new face of Puma. Nike did not disclose a reason at the time for dropping Neymar, who had first signed for the brand as a 13-year-old but has now revealed the early end to their endorsement deal came about following an investigation into allegations that the 29-year-old had sexually assaulted a female employee.

"Nike ended its relationship with the athlete because he refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee,” Nike said in a statement on Thursday. The company said it was “deeply disturbed” by an incident that the employee alleged occurred in 2016. Nike said the employee reported the allegations against Neymar in 2018 and initially wanted to keep it confidential and avoid an investigation. As a result, Nike said it did not share details with law enforcement or a third party out of respect for the employee’s privacy.

Neymar sexual assault case: Is Neymar guilty of sexual assault?

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Nike employee claimed that Neymar attempted to sexually assault her in his hotel room while in New York City for a promotional event and blocked her from leaving the room before chasing her down the hallway. The apparel giant said in a statement that its investigation in the 2016 incident was inconclusive. 

Neymar denied the allegation and his spokeswoman said, “Neymar Jr. will vigorously defend himself against these baseless attacks in case any claim is presented, which did not happen so far.” She added that Nike and Neymar split for commercial reasons. 

Brazil squad Copa America 2021

Amid the sexual allegations against Neymar made by Nike against Neymar, the star footballer will have to shift his focus on the 2021 Copa America which begins in June. Although Brazil haven't yet released their squad for the tournament, Neymar is expected to play a key role if the South American giants are to defend their Copa America title. 

Image Credits - Neymar Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

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Published May 28th, 2021 at 14:34 IST

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