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Neymar was axed by Nike after refusing to take part in a sexual assault investigation (AP)Nike has announced that Neymar\u2019s lucrative sponsorship deal was terminated after he \u2018refused to cooperate\u2019 in an internal sexual assault investigation involving himself and an employee.
\nNeymar was first signed by Nike at the age of 13 and was handed an 11-year contract, worth a reported $105 million (\u00a374m), which was due to run until 2022.
\nBut Nike ended their partnership with Neymar last September and the Brazilian forward subsequently signed a deal with Puma.
\nNike did not disclose a reason for dropping Neymar but The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the split came following an investigation into allegations that the 29-year-old had sexually assaulted a female employee.
\nThe Nike employee has alleged that in 2016, Neymar attempted to force her to perform oral sex in his hotel room after a promotional event in New York. It\u2019s alleged that after taking off his underwear, the Brazilian attempted to block her from leaving the room and chased her down the hallway.
\nThe employee made a complaint to Nike in 2018 and an internal investigation was launched the following year with the sportswear giant appointing a team of independent lawyers to conduct interviews with witnesses.<\/p>\n
Neymar had been sponsored by Nike since the age of 13 (Getty)Nike has confirmed that the findings from the investigation were \u2018inconclusive\u2019 but the company decided to drop Neymar because he \u2018refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee\u2019.
\nA spokeswoman for Neymar has denied the allegations: \u2018Neymar Jr. will vigorously defend himself against these baseless attacks in case any claim is presented, which did not happen so far.\u2019
\nA statement from Nike read: \u2018Nike was deeply disturbed by sexual assault allegations made by one of our own employees against Neymar Jr.
\n\u2018The alleged incident occurred in 2016 and was officially reported to Nike in 2018. The employee came forward to share her experience in a forum created by Nike leadership to afford a safe environment in which current and former employees could confidentially share their experiences and concerns.
\n\u2018From the very beginning, we have treated the employee\u2019s allegations and her experience with great seriousness.
\n\u2018When the employee first relayed her allegations to Nike\u2019s leadership in 2018, she did so only with assurances of confidentiality.<\/p>\n
Neymar signed a deal to wear Puma last September (Getty)\u2018While Nike was prepared and ready to investigate at that time, Nike respected the employee\u2019s initial desire to keep this matter confidential and avoid an investigation.
\n\u2018As her employer, we had a responsibility to respect her privacy and did not believe it was appropriate to share that information with law enforcement or any third party without the employee\u2019s consent.
\n\u2018In 2019, when the employee later expressed interest in pursuing the matter, we acted immediately. Nike commissioned an independent investigation and retained separate independent legal counsel for the employee, of her choosing and at the company\u2019s expense.
\nMore: Champions League<\/p>\n