According to Nike, the company cut ties with Neymar because he “refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee.”
Nike has issued a statement explaining that it ended its partnership with Neymar after an employee of the footwear giant came forward with sexual assault allegation against the Brazilian soccer player.
According to Nike, the company cut ties with Neymar because he “refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee.”
The allegation, brought forward to Nike in 2018, stemmed from an incident that allegedly occurred in 2016.
The employee initially wanted the complaint to remain confidential, but decided to pursue an investigation in 2019.
Nike provided the employee with independent counsel and paid for the expense.
The company told CNN that the investigation was “inconclusive,” while a spokesperson for the footballer denied that the split was due to the accusations of harassment.
According to the source, Neymar and Nike split for purely commercial reasons having been in discussions over the deal since 2019.
“Neymar Jr. will vigorously defend himself against these baseless attacks in case any claim is presented, which did not happen so far,” he said. “It is very strange a case that was supposed to have happened in 2016, with allegations by a Nike employee, come to light only at that moment."
They also referenced a similar accusation made against Neymar by a woman in 2019.
The accuser, a Brazilian model, alleged the footballer had raped her at a Paris hotel. The case was later dropped due to lack of evidence.
Last August, Neymar stunned the sportswear world when he left his partners of 15 years at Nike to sign a rich endorsement deal with Puma.
The move, first reported by Mohamed Bouhafsi, seemingly came out of nowhere, but a new report suggests a series of events actually led to Nike cutting ties with the Brazilian soccer star.
Nike and Neymar’s partnership lasted 15 years and was reportedly set to run for another eight before the duo parted ways.
News of their split broke last summer, around the same time Neymar signed a contract with PUMA.
As of now, Neymar continues to wear Nike kits for the Brazilian national team and his club Paris Saint-Germain.
Tags: #Nike, #football, #Neymar, #sexualharrassment