match ban in huge blow to World Cup hopes after shocking ref attack

Neymar facing 12-match ban in huge blow to World Cup hopes after shocking ref attack

Neymar is still desperately hoping to force his way into Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad for the World Cup this summer, but his chances could be wiped out by a ban

Neymar's already slim chances of making the Brazil squad for this summer's World Cup could be extinguished with a ban. The 34-year-old forward may have landed himself in hot water with some offensive comments about a referee.

Neymar has not played for his country since October 2023 and was not picked by Carlo Ancelotti in his latest squad. But the former Barcelona star has not given up on reaching the World Cup in June.

He has returned to his home country to play for boyhood club Santos in the hope of rediscovering his best form after years of injury struggles in Saudi Arabia. But he is now nervously awaiting a backlash for what he said after his most recent match.

Neymar clashed with referee Savio Pereira Sampaio after picking up his third yellow card in four games, meaning he will be suspended for the next game against Flamengo. Santos won the game against Remo 2-0, but Neymar was still incensed by his yellow when he faced the media post-match.

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"It’s very unfair because I was fouled from behind," he began. "It’s very disloyal - there was no need, it was at the end of the game. And it wasn’t the first time, the third or fourth, so I only went over to complain to him and I was booked straight away.

"Anyway, Savio is always like that. I think he woke up… [laughs] how do you say it… Woke up on his period and came to the game like that today."

He then added: “He’s the kind of referee who wants to be the star of the game, who has a great lack of respect for all the players. It wasn’t just with me. It was with the Remo players too. He doesn’t want to talk, he doesn’t want to converse.

“This has to improve. He’s the guy who’s in charge of the game, who has to command everything. And sometimes we’ll complain, as is football, we’ll ask why, question. He needs to know how to handle that. If he handles it that way, it becomes very unpleasant, very disrespectful.”

Neymar is facing a possible 12-match ban because there is a precedent for such a punishment in Brazilian football. Red Bull Bragantino defender Gustavo Marques was banned for 12 games for making sexist comments towards female referee Daiane Muniz.

Marques said: “I think the FPF [Sao Paulo Football Federation] has to look at a game of this size and not appoint a female referee.

“With all respect to women around the world – I’m married, I also have my mum – I’m sorry if I’m saying anything bad about women, but I don’t think that she has the capacity to referee this game.”

Marques later issued an apology but the authorities took a dim view to his sexist comments. “I’m here once again to apologise to women around the world and here in Brazil," he said.

“I said things that I shouldn’t have in that moment about Daiane. I went to her to apologise afterwards, and to her assistant as well. So I’m here again to apologise to women around the world, there are plenty of women here too.

“I hope they can forgive me for what I said. I’m upset, I’m sad, my wife has already scolded me, my mother as well. So I’m here to say sorry. I’m a man, a human being, and humans make mistakes.”

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