In 2013, Brazilian soccer superstar Nima's journey from Santos to Barcelona was once exposed as an alleged conspiracy with his parents and former Barcelona president Rosell to conceal part of the transfer money. The mystery was finally solved when Spanish prosecutors decided to exonerate those involved from prosecution, and Nima successfully avoided a two-year jail sentence.
The lawsuit, filed by Brazilian company DIS, which owned 40% of Nima's shares at the time, alleges that Barcelona and Nima, among others, hid "backroom" transfer fees, resulting in the loss of a huge amount of money, claiming up to 150 million euros. If the charges are established, the 30-year-old striker could face two years in prison.
However, after an in-depth review, the Spanish prosecution ultimately determined that Nima and others had not committed a crime and that the case did not meet the criteria for criminal prosecution, so it dropped the charges against all parties and said that DIS could recover its losses through civil litigation.
Although Nima managed to get out of it, he has been embroiled in a new controversy. Recently, he publicly endorsed incumbent President Bolsonaro in the Brazilian presidential election, an action that has drawn the ire of the Brazilian Football Association (ABF). The association is concerned that Nima's "choosing sides" may offend Brazilian fans from another political camp, which could affect the team's bid for this year's World Cup.
