Neymar faces no punishment over slapping fan in French Cup final

Neymar will escape prosecution for an altercation with an opposition supporter after Paris Saint-Germain’s surprise defeat in the French Cup final in April.

Published : Nov 05, 2019 09:40 IST

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.
lightbox-info

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.

Neymar will escape prosecution for an altercation with an opposition supporter after Paris Saint-Germain’s surprise defeat in the French Cup final in April, sources told AFP .

Prosecutors have decided the Brazilian star will receive a written warning and no further action will be taken.

A 29-year-old Rennes fan who had been filming Neymar as he climbed the stairs to collect his loser’s medal at the Stade de France appeared to coax him after the French league champion was defeated in a penalty shootout.

Neymar stopped, used his hand to lower the phone and then tapped the fan on the chin.

“I shouldn’t have done it but sometimes it’s hard to remain calm,” Neymar said on Instagram at the time.

A lawyer for the fan who filed a complaint against Neymar for violent behaviour said the warning was unacceptable.

“It’s a justification of violence,” said lawyer Philippe Ohayon.

“If that had been a fan hitting a player he would have been brought to justice and maybe even received a custodial sentence.”

Neymar was given a three-match ban for the gesture at the time of the incident.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment