The incident was said to have occurred in 2016 and was reported to Nike in 2018. A company employee is said to have accused the Brazilian of committing sexual assault.
Neymar denies that he refused to cooperate in any investigation.
The 29-year-old wrote on Instagram: “To claim that the contract was terminated because I did not cooperate in the investigation is a ridiculous lie.”
“I didn’t have the opportunity to defend myself. I didn’t have the opportunity to find out who this person was, who should have been revealed, I don’t even know her. I had no relationship or contact with this person.”
Nike linked Neymar when he was 13 and one of the most promising football talents in the world The 29-year-old had been with the shoe company for 15 years before they went their separate ways.
The investigation did not lead to anything. But Nike claims the agreement was terminated precisely because Neymar did not want to participate in it.
A company spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal: “Nike broke off cooperation with the athlete because he refused to cooperate in an investigation into credible allegations of a crime against an employee.”
A spokesperson for the PSG star, unlike Nike, said the contract was terminated for commercial reasons.
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