​Football Leaks Publishes Neymar Contracts

The website Football Leaks has published the contract signed by Brazilian football star Neymar Junior with management company Doyen Sports. Doyen were tasked with managing Neymar's image rights in certain markets, and were also responsible for putting together the well publicised deals with Japanese video gaming company Konami and online poker giant Pokerstars.

The Wikileaks clone claims to be in pursuit of the truth and has already published details of private deals involving many different European football clubs. Some of these releases have highlighted the unsavoury nature of what goes on behind the scenes in national and international football. The potential for embarrassment is increasing every day as more leaked documents are published, showing the murky world of football finances to all and sundry.

The contract signed with Malta based Doyen Sports in 2012 referred to the image rights of Neymar, then still playing for Brazilian Club Santos, for the continent of Asia, and the countries Russia, Angola, Turkey, and Mexico as well as limited non exclusive rights throughout the United Kingdom and the United States of America. For $6million Doyen were guaranteed exclusive access to Neymar's promotional services plus sixty percent of any jointly earned revenue for the next three years. Thirty percent would go to Neymar Sport Marketing, a company run by Neymar's parents, and the remaining ten percent to Santos football club.

For revenues earned in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, Doyen would only take thirty percent and twenty percent respectively. From mid 2015 to 2017 Doyen's share would drop down to twenty percent across all markets and the company would no longer have any exclusive rights.

Also published were the details of Neymar's tie up with Pokerstars. Signed in March 2015, the deal was worth €2million per year, with Doyen to keep €400,000. In the small print were conditions about making a minimum number of posts on his Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote the game of poker.

In a less lucrative deal, video game producer Konami were willing to pay out €750,000, with Doyen's share being €150,000. In return Konami were able to use Neymar's name and image for the marketing of its products.

As one of the most marketable athletes on the planet, it's no surprise to see these figures being attributed to him. What is interesting though, is the clear love of poker that he has shown. While a high percentage of participants in events such as the European Poker Tour main event are playing for life changing money, Neymar is clearly not. Yet he appears to have dedicated himself to the game with many positive comments being made about the quality of his play.

Check out what he had to say himself at this years EPT in Barcalona here: