Lawyers for Brazilian footballer Neymar and Spanish champions Barcelona failed Friday in their bid to avert a multi-million-dollar court battle over a tangled contact dispute.
"It is going to court," Barcelona lawyer Josep Vives told journalists outside the court after the closed-door reconciliation talks had collapsed.
A court official told journalists that the hearing which is open to the public would begin later on Friday.
The case revolves around a decision by Neymar, the world's most expensive footballer, to quit Barcelona in 2017 and join Paris Saint-Germain in a stunning coup for the French club.
The move angered the Spanish giants who filed a complaint for breach of contract against the 27-year-old superstar who had pledged loyalty to Barcelona by signing a new deal just one year earlier.
Neymar arrived in Barcelona Thursday ahead of the hearing which was set for 10:00 am (0800 GMT) Friday but lawyers confined later he was not at court.
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Neymar's shock transfer to PSG for a world record 222 million euros ($250 million at the time) came less than a year after he signed a contract that would have kept him at the Spanish club until 2021.
As well as filing a lawsuit, Barcelona refused to pay him 26 million euros, which were part of his contract renewal bonus.
The young Brazilian quickly hit back with a lawsuit demanding payment of the bonus in full.
- 'The taxman watching' -
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