Neymar Slapped with Hefty $3.3 Million Fine for Illegally Constructing Artificial Lake at His Property in Brazil

Neymar is one of football’s most famous players. The Brazilian striker has 210 million followers on Instagram, making him the third most followed footballer on the platform, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo (593 million) and Lionel Messi (476 million).

Neymar’s popularity makes him a target of media scrutiny. If the PSG star is not in the news for his injury woes that strangely coincide with the most important parts of the season, he’s trending for his off-field activities. For some reason, he continues to have his name linked to a string of controversies that may have negatively affected his focus.

Neymar has once again found himself in the spotlight with his future at PSG in doubt. The 31-year-old forward is having troubles in his native Brazil and has been slapped with a hefty fine, but what exactly did he do?

Neymar Faces Hefty $3.3 Million Fine for Building an Artificial Lake at His Mansion

News about Neymar’s lake first broke out last week when it was reported that the footballer received government officials at his mansion for inspection. His dad even denied an officer access to the property despite having all the necessary paperwork.

His team’s refusal to comment on these reports only further fuelled the fire. Andy Vermaut has now shared on his Twitter account that Neymar has been fined a hefty $3.3 million for illegally building an artificial lake at his mansion, which is just on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

The council secretariat has since released a statement as reported by France 24. “The sanctions add up to more than 16 million reais,” the statement reads. Some of the sanctions against Neymar include carrying out work subject to environmental control without authorization, removal of land and suppression of vegetation without authorization, and capture and diversion of river water without authorization.

According to the same report, Neymar could appeal these sanctions and has up to 20 days to do so.

Is Neymar Leaving PSG to Return to Barcelona?

Neymar has been linked with a move back to Barcelona for quite some time now. Fans even dared to dream of a reunion with Lionel Messi at Camp Nou, where the duo once helped the Catalan giants win the treble back in 2015. However, those dreams have been dashed as Lionel Messi decided to join Inter Miami earlier last month.

Neymar’s time at PSG has not been a great one. Bought for €222 million in 2017, the highest fee ever paid for any footballer, the Brazilian has failed to justify PSG’s choice to fork out that much for him. Although the club has enjoyed domestic success, the more coveted Champions League trophy has eluded them.

Neymar has claimed severally that he’ll see out his contract at the French club. However, with everything going on in the Brazilian’s life, a change of mind can not be ruled out. Should Neymar move elsewhere to rediscover his love for football again?