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An end-of-the-year party for 150 people attended by Brazilian soccer star Neymar is drawing scrutiny from local prosecutors, but the city where it is taking place said Wednesday it can do nothing to prevent it from taking cape.
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Soccer – Champions League – Group H – Paris St Germain v Istanbul Basaksehir FK – Parc des Princes, Paris, France – December 9, 2020 Paris St Germain Neymar REUTERS / Charles Platiau
RIO DE JANEIRO: An end-of-the-year party for 150 people attended by Brazilian soccer star Neymar is drawing scrutiny from local prosecutors, but the city where it is taking place said Wednesday it can do nothing to prevent to be carried out.
Brazilian media said the Paris Saint Germain striker was the host of the five-day party in Mangaratiba, a coastal city about 105 km (65 miles) from Rio de Janeiro, but his public relations team was quoted by a newspaper. saying he was just a guest.
Newspapers on Wednesday said that guests had started arriving at the luxury condo where the player owns the property.
Reports said he had purchased a disused hangar for the event and required all guests to hand over their cell phones to prevent photos and videos from leaking online.
The 28-year-old has received widespread condemnation for the event, many of them Brazilian celebrities.
However, the Mangaratiba mayor’s office said it cannot legislate private parties, adding that “in the midst of a pandemic it is a matter of responsibility and common sense of each citizen” whether to organize parties or attend large gatherings.
The pandemic has killed more than 192,000 people in Brazil, a higher death toll than in any other country except the United States. On Tuesday alone, 1,111 people were reported to have died from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said.
The city of Rio de Janeiro, where millions of people gather each year on Copacabana Beach to watch the world-famous fireworks show every New Year’s Eve, canceled this year’s event.
And state prosecutors said they were “analyzing” what action the party would take, if any.
Neymar did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper said his public relations team described him as a mere guest at the event, not the host.
(Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; written by Andrew Downie; Edited by Alistair Bell)
