Neymar will not be able to play in the Clasico at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu later this month after the Spanish FA’s Competition Committee hit the Brazilian with a three-match suspension, one which the Catalan club has claimed was influenced by media pressure.
Having sarcastically applauded the fourth official as he was he was sent off against Malaga, the 25-year-old has seen his automatic one-match ban tripled, and the Blaugrana are not happy about it one bit.
“Concern was expressed at the clear and unacceptable pressure from some parts of the media, which sought to prevent the Competition Committee from reasonably resolving the matter, given that there was a clear public interest in the player missing the upcoming Clasico,” a Spanish FA statement revealed.
Yet the Competition Committee emphatically denied that they had been influenced by this alleged campaign.
“This Competition Committee wants to make clear its complete independence with respect to what any media outlet campaigns for or does not campaign for,” they said.
“The Committee’s decision is only based on its evaluation of all the relevant circumstances.”
Furthermore, the statement explained why it had rejected Barcelona’s version of events, in which they claimed that Neymar was not addressing the fourth official given that he didn’t say a word and given that he had no reason to lash out at someone who had not sent him off.
“Barcelona did not provide any evidence, where video evidence or otherwise, to support their version of events,” the Competition Committee said.
As such, the forward will miss the match against Real Madrid, as well as the Blaugrana’s upcoming fixtures against Real Sociedad and Osasuna.
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