New controversy around Neymar. “Nike ended its partnership with the athlete because he refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation into credible allegations of wrongdoing made by an employee,” Nike said in a statement overnight Thursday through Friday. The comma mark was expressed in response to an article in the Wall Street Journal, according to which one of the employees told friends and colleagues that Neymar tried to force her to perform oral sex in 2016, while she was in her hotel room in New York.
Nike said to itself “Deeply disturbed by the allegations of sexual assault made in 2018 by one of its employees against Neymar Jr.”, but assured that his investigation “Was not conclusive”. The equipment manufacturer claims in its statement to have been ready to investigate in 2018, when his employee made these allegations, but that he “Respected its initial desire to keep this matter confidential and to avoid the opening of an investigation”. Then, in 2019, when the employee would have liked it, Nike hired lawyers to conduct its own investigations. “No body of facts has emerged that would allow us to rule on the merits of the case. It would be inappropriate for Nike to make an accusatory statement without being able to provide supporting facts ”, concluded the American giant.
Nike’s “blackmail” according to Neymar Senior
The spokesperson for the Brazilian assured in a statement that “Neymar Jr. will vigorously defend himself against these baseless attacks in the event that any allegation is made, which has not happened so far.” The player’s father is on the same line. “How can such news come out?” did he rebel in the daily Newspaper, because, according to him, his son “Don’t even know this girl”. Neymar Senior then accused of “blackmail” the American brand: “It comes from Nike. It’s very strange, they all leave Nike and are accused of stuff like that. It happened to Cristiano Ronaldo, to the basketball guy who died, Kobe [Bryant], they have been denigrated, as Neymar is wrongly accused now. “
In 2019, Neymar was accused of rape by another woman in Brazil. Which he vehemently rejected and the case was ultimately dropped. At the time, Nike had expressed its “Deep concern”, before assuring the player of his support once the case has been closed by the Brazilian police for lack of proof.
Regarding the Nike-Neymar divorce, the spokesperson for the player said the two parties had separated for commercial reasons, while they had been negotiating since 2019. “It is very strange that a case supposed to have occurred in 2016, with allegations made by a Nike employee, was not revealed until then”, she remarked. At the end of August, at the time of the announcement of the premature termination of the contract, after thirteen years of collaboration, Nike had given no reason for this decision. The Brazilian star was however one of the main figures of the American brand in the world.
Despite his quarrels with the Spanish Tax and his numerous extra-sporting differences, Neymar recently saw his contract be extended by PSG until 2025. A Parisian jersey sponsored by… Nike.
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