September 18 – Neymar’s three-game European ban for insulting match officials has been cut to two by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 27-year-old Paris St Germain star was charged by UEFA after PSG’s Champions League last-16 elimination at home to Manchester United back in March.
Although he was out injured, Neymar was sanctioned for an outburst on social media when he posted offensive comments about VAR officials after PSG conceded a stoppage-time penalty.
Neymar will still miss matches against Real Madrid tonight and the away trip to Galatasaray in two weeks.
In its ruling, the CAS statement read: “CAS has rendered its final decision in the appeal filed by the French club Paris Saint-Germain and the player Neymar Da Silva Santos Jr. against the decision taken by the Uefa Appeals Body on 18 June 2019.
“The player was found to have insulted match officials through social media at the end of the Champions League match Paris St-Germain vs Manchester United on 6 March 2019 and sanctioned with a 3-match suspension from UEFA competition matches for which he would otherwise be eligible. Following an appeal filed on 18 July 2019 by both Paris Saint-Germain and the player, this CAS procedure was referred to a Sole Arbitrator, Prof. Ulrich Haas (Germany).
“A hearing was held at the CAS headquarters on 13 September 2019, during which the parties and their legal representatives were heard. In application of Art. 15 (1) lit. b of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations which provides for a minimum suspension of two matches in case of “abusive language” directed at a match official, the Sole Arbitrator partially upheld the appeal and reduced the suspension imposed by UEFA on Neymar Jr. to two (2) UEFA competition matches for which he would otherwise be eligible.”
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