Neymar has been heard: the Professional Football League (LFP) announced, Wednesday, September 16, that it was opening an investigation into the racist remarks allegedly made by Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez towards the star striker of Paris-SG, who receives a suspension of two firm games, plus a suspended sentence.
The disciplinary committee did not have a hand as heavy as feared the Brazilian, guilty of a slap on the back of the defender’s head during clashes that polluted the end of the “Clasico”, Sunday. The meeting between Olympique de Marseille and Paris-Saint-Germain (1-0) ended with the start of a fight and the referee had distributed 17 cards, including five reds worth exclusion, a figure not reached since many years in Ligue 1.
For Neymar, this decision means he will be able to return to Reims on September 27, after more than two weeks of forced rest for him, when he had just returned to competition after testing positive for Covid-19 in early September.
The League will only pronounce on “tangible” facts
The charges of racism he brought against Alvaro, and which earned him a wave of support from Brazil, will also be examined by the instance, during an investigation which will be based on a thorough analysis of the images, promised to take time.
The N.10, who complained several times during the meeting, assures that the Spaniard called him “Monkey”. “We know that there was an exchange of words. But today, the certainties are not sufficient to summon the players “, said the chairman of the disciplinary committee, Sébastien Deneux. The goal will be to establish “What was actually said, what was actually heard”, continued the official, who insisted that the commission only pronounced “On objective, tangible elements”.
Asked whether this investigation would also concern homophobic remarks likely to have been made by Neymar, Sébastien Deneux replied: “Tonight, we were seized with possible racist comments from Alvaro. We must speak with the greatest caution. The investigation will reveal whether there are other facts that could lead to disciplinary consequences. “
Last point in suspense, the spitting of Angel di Maria in the direction of Alvaro: the Argentinian from PSG has been summoned for the next meeting of the committee, on September 23. A spit can earn him up to six games of suspension.
Among the other players who participated in the fight, Parisian defender Layvin Kurzawa received the longest suspension with six games, for his kick to Marseillais Jordan Amavi, who will be away from the field for three games. PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes and his Argentinian OM compatriot Dario Benedetto were respectively suspended for three games, two of which were closed and one suspended.
Many strokes of blood
For Neymar, this suspension is added to the list of his bloodlust since his arrival with great fanfare in the summer of 2017. The Brazilian had already been suspended three games by UEFA in April 2019 for offensive tweets towards the referees defeat against Manchester United (3-1) in 8e Champions League second leg final (sanction reduced to two matches by the Court of Arbitration for Sport).
In May 2019, the French Federation (FFF) imposed the same suspension (plus two suspended matches) for the blow he dealt to a spectator who provoked him at the Stade de France, while he was in the stand. to recover his consolation medal after the lost final of the Coupe de France against Rennes (2-2 ap, 6-5 in the tabs).
His absence is bad news for coach Thomas Tuchel, who has had to deal for two weeks with the absence of several executives infected with the new coronavirus. This very small workforce, added to the busy schedule that deprived him of preparation, partly explains the two initial defeats of PSG.
Neymar is eagerly awaited to bring his team back to this level of the competition, as he begins a pivotal year with a view to a possible extension of his contract expiring in 2022.
