BARCELONA, Spain — A few hours after scoring the winning goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Marseille in the French league, Neymar arrived in court in Spain on Monday to face a trial for alleged irregularities involving his transfer to Barcelona in 2013.
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Neymar’s parents, former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and representatives for both the Spanish club and Brazilian team Santos also appeared in court after a complaint brought by Brazilian investment group DIS regarding the amount of the player’s transfer.
The Brazil forward arrived at the court in Barcelona wearing sunglasses and a black suit and tie. Neymar’s mother and father, who also is his agent, were among those arriving alongside the player.
The defendants, who have denied wrongdoing, sat near each other to hear the opening arguments in the trial that comes nearly a month before the World Cup opens on Nov. 20 in Qatar, and is expected to last until the end of the month.
Neymar and the rest of the defendants have to be in court for the first day of the trial, but the player is only expected to testify on Friday.
On Sunday night, Neymar scored his ninth French league goal of the season in first-half stoppage time to lead PSG to a 1-0 win over Marseille in French soccer’s biggest game.
Neymar and his father face corruption charges. Prosecutors have asked for a prison sentence of up to two years, although any jail time would likely be suspended. DIS asked for a five-year prison sentence for the 30-year-old Neymar and his father, and for compensation of 34 million euros ($32.1 million) and a fine of 195 million euros ($190 million) that would be paid to the Spanish state.
Prosecutors seek a fine of 10 million euros ($9.7 million) for Neymar and his father. They also seek five years in prison for Rosell for fraud and corruption charges, plus a fine of 10 million euros ($9.7 million).
Neymar’s representatives have argued that the crime of corruption between individuals was not punishable in Brazil, which is where they say the transactions originally took place. They said that according to Spanish law, a crime can’t be punished in Spain if it didn’t happen in both territories.
DIS was entitled to 40% of Neymar’s transfer but said it received a smaller compensation because part of the transfer fee was concealed. Prosecutors said those involved tried to hide the real amount of the transfer in order to pay a lower commission to the investment group.
The lawyers for the plaintiffs argue that DIS only received its due percentage from the 17 million euros ($16.6 million) that Barcelona and Santos initially announced as the transfer fee between the clubs, while the real cost was about 82 million euros ($79.9 million). An investigative judge in Spain has already said that the real cost was at least 83.3 million euros ($81.2 million).
Neymar and his father previously appeared in court in Madrid a few years ago because of the accusations.
Neymar made his highly anticipated move to Spain at age 21. He helped Barcelona win the club’s last Champions League title in 2015, and eventually became involved in a soap-opera like transfer to PSG in 2017.
Neymar’s move from Santos also got Barcelona in trouble with Spain’s tax office. In 2016, the Catalan club paid a fine of 5.5 million euros ($5.3 million now) to settle a separate case brought by authorities. In that settlement, the club acknowledged it had made “an error in the fiscal planning of the player’s transfer.”
The World Cup 2022 schedule is locked in and there is so much to look forward to ahead of the tournament in Qatar in November to December.
[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]
From the USMNT facing England the day after Thanksgiving to Mexico and Argentina squaring off in the group stages, Spain facing Germany, and Belgium vs Canada, there are plenty of intriguing games in the opening round.
[ MORE: USMNT react to draw ]
Then we have the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final to look forward to.
Below is the schedule in full, details on how to watch the games and everything else you need..
When: November 20, 2022 to December 18, 2022 Group stage game kick off times: 5am, 8am, 11am, 2pm (all ET) Location: Qatar TV channel in English: Fox TV channel in Spanish: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
November, 20: Qatar vs Ecuador – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 12pm November, 21: Senegal vs Netherlands – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 5am November, 25: Qatar vs Senegal – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 8am November, 25: Netherlands vs Ecuador – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 11am November, 29: Netherlands vs Qatar – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 10am November, 29: Ecuador vs Senegal – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am
November, 21: England vs Iran – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 8am November, 21: USA vs Wales- Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm November, 25: England vs USA – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm November, 25: Wales vs Iran – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 5am November, 29: Wales vs England – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm November, 29: Iran vs USA – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm
November, 22: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 5am November, 22: Mexico vs Poland – Stadium 974, Doha – 11am November, 26: Argentina vs Mexico – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm November, 26: Poland vs Saudi Arabia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 8am November, 30: Poland vs Argentina – Stadium 974, Doha – 2pm November, 30: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm
November, 22: France vs Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 2pm November, 22: Denmark vs Tunisia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 8am November, 26: France vs Denmark – Stadium 974, Doha – 11am November, 26: Tunisia vs Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 5am November, 30: Tunisia vs France – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am November, 30: Australia vs Denmark – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 10am
November, 23: Spain vs Costa Rica- Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 11am November, 23: Germany vs Japan – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 8am November, 27: Spain vs Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm November, 27: Japan vs Costa Rica – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 5am December, 1: Japan vs Spain – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm December, 1: Costa Rica vs Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm
November, 23: Belgium vs Canada – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm November, 23: Morocco vs Croatia – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 5am November, 27: Belgium vs Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 8am November, 27: Croatia vs Canada – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 11am December, 1: Croatia vs Belgium – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am December, 1: Canada vs Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 10am
November, 24: Brazil vs Serbia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm November, 24: Switzerland vs Cameroon – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 5am November, 28: Brazil vs Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha – 11am November, 28: Cameroon vs Serbia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 5am December, 2: Cameroon vs Brazil – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm December, 2: Serbia vs Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha – 2pm
November, 24: Portugal vs Ghana – Stadium 974, Doha – 11am November, 24: Uruguay vs South Korea – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 8am November, 28: Portugal vs Uruguay – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm November, 28: South Korea vs Ghana – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 8am December, 2: South Korea vs Portugal – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am December, 2: Ghana vs Uruguay – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 10am
Match 49 – December, 3: Winner Group A vs Runners up Group B – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am
Match 50 – December, 3: Winners Group C vs Runners up Group D – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm
Match 52 -December, 4: Winners Group D vs Runners up Group C – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha – 10am
Match 51 – December, 4: Winners Group B vs Runners up Group A – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm
Match 53 -December, 5: Winners Group E vs Runners up Group F – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 10am
Match 54 – December, 5: Winners Group G vs Runners up Group H – Stadium 974, Doha – 2pm
Match 55 – December, 6: Winners Group F vs Runners up Group E – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am
Match 56 – December, 6: Winners Group H vs Runners up Group G – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm
Match 58 – December, 9: Winners Match 53 vs Winners Match 54 – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am
Match 57 – December, 9: Winners Match 49 vs Winners Match 50 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 10am
Match 60 – December, 10: Winners Match 55 vs Winners Match 56 – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha – 10am
Match 59 – December, 10: Winners Match 51 vs Winners Match 52 – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm
Match 61 – December, 13: Winners Match 57 vs Winners Match 58 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm
Match 62 – December, 14: Winners Match 59 vs Winners Match 60 – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm
Match 63 – December, 17: Losers Match 61 vs Losers Match 62 – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm
Match 64 – December, 18: Winners Match 61 vs Winners Match 62 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 10am
With less than two months to go until it all kicks off, it is time to update and release the latest 2022 World Cup rankings.
[ MORE: USMNT react to Japan defeat ]
There are a few clear favorites to win the trophy in Qatar but some of the giants have been handed tougher group stage draws than others which will obviously impact their chances of lifting the famous trophy.
Given that some of the favorites have also been struggling in recent Nations League games and friendlies with plenty of heavy defeats and strange results, there remains no real frontrunner to win the tournament. That is great news for neutrals.
[ MORE: Full schedule for World Cup ]
Keep an eye out on a few underdogs too, as there are some real opportunities which have opened up depending on what side of the bracket you’re on.
We will updates these rankings before and during the tournament in Qatar, which takes place from November 21 to December 18, 2022.
[ MORE: Betting odds for 2022 World Cup ]
Let us know what you think of the rankings below.
When: November 20, 2022 to December 18, 2022 Group stage game kick off times: 5am, 8am, 11am, 2pm (all ET) Location: Qatar TV channel in English: Fox TV channel in Spanish: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
32. Tunisia – Down 1 31. Qatar – Down 4 30. Australia – Up 2 29. Ghana – Even 28. Cameroon – Down 3
27. Saudi Arabia – Up 1 26. Costa Rica – Up 4 25. Wales – Down 5 24. Iran – Even 23. Canada – Even
22. Morocco – Even 21. Ecuador – Down 3 20. USA – Down 4 19. Japan – Up 7 18. Poland – Up 3
17. Mexico – Up 2 16. South Korea – Down 1 15. Senegal – Down 3 14. Serbia – Up 3 13. Uruguay – Down 3
12. Switzerland – Up 1 11. Croatia – Up 3 10. Denmark – Up 1 9. Spain – Down 2 8. England – Down 2 7. Germany – Down 2
6. Netherlands – Up 3 5. Portugal – Up 3 4. France – Even 3. Belgium – Down 1 2. Argentina – Up 1 1. Brazil – Even
LIVERPOOL — Jurgen Klopp was deflated as he discussed his red card and his crazy reaction during the huge win for his Liverpool side against Manchester City.
In a cauldron-like atmosphere at Anfield, Klopp’s 85th-minute actions resembled an exploding volcano.
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He first ran down the sidelines and then confronted the linesman further as he screamed in his face after Liverpool were not awarded a free kick for what Klopp believed was a foul on Mohamed Salah. He was shown a straight red card.
Even though the deliriously happy Liverpool fans at Anfield begged Klopp for his famous celebratory fist pumps as he made his way back out onto the pitch after the huge win for his injury-hit side, the German coach didn’t deliver them as his celebrations were uncharacteristically muted.
Jurgen Klopp knows he crossed the line as Anfield was whipped into a frenzy as Liverpool delivered a display which got their season back on track.
[ MORE: Reaction, analysis, what we learned ]
Asked by Pro Soccer Talk about what happened during the red card incident, Klopp held his hand up and admitted that he was wrong and tried to explain what led him to act the way he did.
“It is emotion of course. The red card is my fault. I went over the top in the moment,” Jurgen Klopp said, almost apologetically. “I don’t think I was disrespectful to anybody but when you look at the pictures back, I know myself. I am 55 years old. The way I look in this moment is worth a red card. I already know that. Who cares what I say. I lost it in that moment. That is not okay. But I think a little bit as an excuse I would like to mention ‘how can you not whistle that foul? How on earth is it possible?’ I wish I could get an explanation.”
Klopp also took exception to Pep Guardiola saying the decision to overturn Phil Foden’s goal via VAR had to do with the game being at Anfield, even though the City manager later said he wasn’t suggesting the home fans influenced the officials.
“I’m not sure what Pep said, probably not a lot, he’s probably very disappointed and frustrated or whatever but during the game we agreed completely that Anthony Taylor would just let the game run. Why would you do that? Both teams. It was not one. I heard now people saying it ‘was Anfield’ that made it be our decision. For the foul on Mo, Anfield had no chance to have any impact. It is a foul on Fabinho and then Alisson has a hand on the ball. That is a save, how I understand it. And then Anfield decided now we are to win, imagine if he wouldn’t we would sit here and talk about three situations where he should have whistled a situation now and you think that is really unlucky.
“There was the first moment when Pep and I were pretty animated, both. But actually for the same reason. We were not arguing with each other. Not at all. And then that situation I just had the perfect view and the linesman and you can imagine we are 1-0 up and you get a free kick there or they have a counter attack there. That is pretty much a 100 percent difference. That was the moment I snapped. I am not proud of that but it happened.”
This is not the first time Klopp has reacted like this on the sidelines towards officials and although he won’t be banned for the home game against West Ham on Wednesday, he will now wait to hear how the FA will charge him.
Klopp will be expecting to spend time in the stands as Liverpool could be without their manager in the dugout for a key stretch of games.
On the pitch, Klopp singled out James Milner and Andy Robertson for special praise, plus Joe Gomez (who had a wink and a smile for the media as he walked out of the stadium) was widely lauded for his superb display alongside the dominant Virgil van Dijk as the duo kept Erling Haaland largely quiet.
Pro Soccer Talk asked Klopp about the mentality of his Liverpool side and the performance they put in to hand Manchester City their first defeat of the Premier League season.
“I think on a normal day you should not even try against City,” Klopp smiled. “To play a normal game against them and hope you get something for it you have to play to your limits, and further. That is what we did.
“We defended in an extremely well-organized but very passionate way. Closed the right gaps and challenged in the right areas and because that still happens because that is the biggest challenge against City they still get through and still get to the touchline and still have an incredible amount of players in the box. How we defended the box and especially the six yard box was exceptional. It was a top performance from all the boys and that is why we could win it.”
Liverpool still have a long way to claw back the 14-point gap to leaders Arsenal and then 11 points to second-place Manchester City. But this was a start. And if they do drag themselves back into the title race, we will look back at this game as the catalyst for what what got Liverpool back on track.
Jurgen Klopp saw red, and rightly so. But his side saw something more important: themselves.
This was the Liverpool we know. This was the heavy metal display they’d been missing. This was the way it should be at Liverpool.
Week 11 of the Premier League season did not disappoint from Friday all through to Sunday.
Ivan Toney showed off his class as Brentford got the best of Brighton to start the weekend, but It was Liverpool’s ability to keep Erling Haaland off the scoreboard that would gather headlines by the end of the weekend.
[ MORE: How to watch PL in the USA ]
In between we saw Chelsea get a much-deserved win, Arsenal a fortunate one, and Newcastle show Manchester United they’re in the same race these days.
Elsewhere, Wolves scored (and won!), Harry Kane kept Harry Kane-ing, and Leicester, Southampton, and Fulham will all take different things from draws.
Here’s a look at 10 things that stood out, as our writers Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Andy Edwards (AE), and Nicholas Mendola (NM) share their observations from across the most recent PL games.
1. Passionate Klopp gets personnel spot on (Liverpool 1-0 Man City): Jurgen Klopp deserved to get sent off for confronting the linesman and Klopp will admit it. He got that wrong. He got everything else right, starting with playing James Milner at right back in place of not fully-fit Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Klopp pushed the right buttons in attack with Diogo Jota, Harvey Elliott, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah up top in a fluid four with Fabinho, Thiago in midfield to get on the ball and try to calm things down. His plan worked a treat and this result will breath new life into Liverpool’s season. Klopp will now face a period in the stands but his team has shown it has not yet been sidelined in this title race. Not yet. (JPW)
[ MORE: Player ratings for Liverpool vs Man City ]
2. You need luck to stay in a title race. Arsenal got it (Leeds 0-1 Arsenal): The Gunners played Thursday in the Europa League and looked like it. At points in the first half you might’ve convinced Mikel Arteta to take a draw, but Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka teamed up for the 35th-minute goal that would stand as the difference at Elland Road, as Leeds continued its trend of performing but underdelivering. Oh, Patrick Bamford. How did you not score? (NM)
3. Kepa stands tall to repay Potter’s faith (Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea): When Edouard Mendy suffered an injury, Chelsea fans will have feared the worst. However, Kepa has been brilliant in recent games and magnificent saves in the first half to keep his team ahead. Much maligned over the last few years, Kepa is now ahead of Edouard Mendy and his ability on the ball seems to suit Graham Potter’s style much better. Most importantly, he seems to have improved his shot-stopping ability and presence. (JPW).
4. Newcastle, Man United have the ingredients to challenge top four this season (Man Utd 0-0 Newcastle): <— The heading says as much about what Eddie Howe has done early in Newcastle’s rebirth as it does about how far Manchester United fell off under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and others. But Newcastle is in every game and controls portions of it, even in buildings like Old Trafford. And while that would also seem like a knock against Manchester United, Erik ten Hag’s team looks increasingly comfortable with his system and Sunday’s pairing of Fred and Casemiro looked plenty strong.
5. Tottenham in with a shout thanks to on-fire Harry Kane (Spurs 2-0 Everton): This could become a tired comparison by the end of the year, but Harry Kane is having the best season of any player in the Premier League not named Erling Haaland. Kane’s goal was followed up by a “hockey assist” on Hojbjerg’s goal that showed both the intelligence and resilience of the English captain. Kane chased down his own wayward touch and waited for Rodrigo Betancur to take off down the right flank. Betancur found Hojbjerg, whose finish came with Kane-level calm. Still, the center forward needs a rest: Kane is playing week-in, week-out and often multiple times a week. (NM)
6. James Maddison remains Leicester’s big hope (Leicester 1-1 Crystal Palace): With Gareth Southgate watching on, James Maddison was once again Leicester’s brightest spark in attack. He had a great chance early in the second half which he dragged wide and his grimace said it all. He kept plugging away, tried to get on the ball and turn in dangerous areas and Maddison is playing with creativity and freedom in a team which looks set for a scrap against relegation. That is not easy to do but his character and quality has always been clear and perhaps England will take him to the World Cup after all. The only issue was his late dive in the box as he looked for a penalty kick. He picked up a booking and Leicester will now be without their main man for their midweek trip to Leeds. (JPW)
7. Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson keep asking big question of Berhalter (Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth): This is over-simplifying, but if your center back position is unsettled before a World Cup and a possible starter on the side in question is playing every week next to your left back in a Premier League side, how do you not at least bring Tim Ream to the tournament with Antonee Robinson? The left side of Fulham’s back line could be helping the USMNT ramp up for Qatar beyond the play of its starting left back (NM)
8. Wolves will take goals however, whenever they can find one (Wolves 1-0 Nottingham Forest): Adama Traore cut inside from the right wing, shot the ball as hard as he could at an opponent’s hand, in the general direction of Forest’s goal, but never on target or threatening it, and that’s how Wolves won the game. Wolves’ xG output prior to the penalty kick: 0.43; Wolves’ xG output after the penalty kick: 0.01. It’s difficult to create chances without a midfield or wide playmaker, just as it’s difficult to convert chances without a reliable striker, but to lack both is a harsh reality that Wolves (and whoever replaces Bruno Lage on a permanent basis) navigate. On the other side, Nottingham Forest were even more putrid in attack, with just 0.40 xG prior to their penalty kick. In the ensuing and final 11 minutes, chasing from a goal behind, Forest created 0.28 xG. 0.27 of that came during stoppage time. (AE)
9. Lady Luck helps the Saints, but not necessarily Hasenhuttl (Southampton 1-1 West Ham): Southampton was lucky to go ahead but Saints have been lacking that luck this season. Despite holding on for a point, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is still under pressure and this wasn’t a great display. But if Saints win at Bournemouth in midweek, then this point can be seen as a very good one and a good step forward. If not, Hasenhuttl could be gone. There is a real lack of confidence about this team and the fans have turned against the manager. Usually, that only has one outcome. (JPW)
10. Ivan Toney shows Brighton the difference a complete center forward makes (Brentford 2-1 Brighton): It wouldn’t be at all unfair to say that ever since Graham Potter came to the club in the summer of 2019, Brighton has played a more attractive, entertaining style of football than Brentford in the Bees’ season-plus in the top flight. Last season, it produced five more points and a finish four places better in the Premier League table. This season (thus far), it’s just one point and one place. It’s hard to watch Brentford vs Brighton without thinking, “How good would these Seagulls be if they had a center forward like that guy?” … Not only did Toney score two more goals on Friday (his 52nd and 53rd goals for Brentford in just over two full seasons – all competitions), but he continues to be the player who steps up in the Bees’ biggest moments. For that alone, Toney’s face and name are most synonymous with Brentford’s incredible rise to the PL (and establishing themselves to stay there). And to think, Brighton have managed to get to where they are without their Toney. Just how good would they be, though? (AE)
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