Popular US sportswear giant Nike has come out to says they have stopped working with Brazilian footballer Neymar because he “refused to co-operate in a good faith investigation” into an allegation of sexual assault which was levelled against him by an employee.
Nike Stops Partnership with Brazilian Star Player
The alleged incident happened five years ago, and it was reported to them two years later. The brand said its investigation was inconclusive. A spokeswoman for Neymar said he, the player denied the sexual assault and split with Nike last year for commercial reasons.
According to her, she said: “Neymar Jr will vigorously defend himself against these baseless attacks in case any claim is presented, which did not happen so far.” Nike parted ways with Neymar in August 2020, ending one of its most high-profile sponsorship deals.
When this happened, they did not give any reason for the split at the time. In its statement on Thursday, it said: “It would be inappropriate for Nike to make an accusatory statement without being able to provide supporting facts.” But it added: “Nike ended its relationship with the athlete because he refused to co-operate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee.”
The alleged victim’s name was not published because of personal reasons; the brand said they would continue to respect the confidentiality of the employee and also recognise that this has been a long and difficult experience for her.
