Nike’s assertion that he was fired last year because he refused to participate in an internal inquiry into an employee’s allegations that he sexually abused her was an “absurd lie,” Neymar claimed on Friday.
To) state that my contract was terminated because I did not contribute in good faith to an investigation, is an absurd lie,” the Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain star said in a statement on Instagram. “I was not given the opportunity to defend myself. I was not given the opportunity to know who this person was that was allegedly offended. I don’t even know her. I’ve never had any kind of relationship or approach with this person.”
The announcement came a day after Nike announced the termination of Neymar’s sponsorship relationship due to the alleged 2016 incident, which was reported to the firm in 2018, and his refusal to assist with the business’s internal inquiry.
When Nike ended the contract in August 2020, it didn’t offer a reason.
Neymar, 29, had been sponsored by the firm since he was a 13-year-old prodigy.
Puma has made him a brand ambassador. In September 2020, he signed a deal with the German sportswear behemoth.
