During a visit to the various Olympic sites in Seine-Saint-Denis on Monday, Gérald Darmanin was asked about recent revelations by Mediapart about him. An investigation accuses the interior minister, who at the time held the post of Minister of Public Accounts, of helping PSG avoid a tax on Neymar's record transfer in the summer of 2017 (220 million euros), from FC Barcelona.
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"I am very happy that football and rugby players come to our territory and pay a lot of taxes and make people pay a lot of taxes," said Gérald Darmanin, without confirming the favor granted. If Mr. Neymar hadn't come, no taxes would have been paid, no football shirts with his name on them would have been sold, and no social security contributions would have been collected.
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Last week, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra also brushed aside the subject, using the same arguments. "I have no comment to make on that, there is nothing illegal in this review that has been done. Neymar came to France and contributed to the wealth of our country and to the influence of part of our football. I don't have any comment to make again, nothing illegal in any of this. My department has not been involved in these dimensions at all. There is absolutely no comment on my part," said the Minister of National Education and Sports.