PSG's Neymar accuses Marseille's Alvaro Gonzalez of racism
Brazilian and four others see red after scuffle during Marseille's 1-0 win over PSG
Neymar's punishment for being one of five players sent off following a brawl at the end of Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 defeat by Marseille will be revealed tomorrow, the French Football League (LFP) said yesterday.
He saw red in stoppage time at the Parc des Princes yesterday morning (Singapore time), alongside teammates Layvin Kurzawa and Leandro Paredes, as well as Marseille's Dario Benedetto and Jordan Amavi.
Florian Thauvin's close-range volley on 31 minutes earned Marseille a first victory over their bitter rivals since November 2011, but the match was marred by an ugly scuffle.
Neymar, in his first game back since testing positive for Covid-19 earlier this month, was dismissed for a slap on Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez.
The Brazilian told the fourth official that Gonzalez had made racist comments before later elaborating about it on Twitter.
Referring to Gonzalez, Neymar wrote: "My only regret is not hitting that a****** in the face. VAR catching my 'aggression' is easy... now I want to see the image of the racist calling me a monkey motherf*****."
The Spaniard responded on Twitter, saying: "There is no place for racism... Sometimes you have to learn to lose and take it on the field."
That seemed to further anger the PSG forward, who wrote: "You're not man enough to own up to your mistake, losing is part of the sport. Insulting and bringing racism into our lives isn't.
"I can't agree with that. I don't respect you! You have no character! Own up to what you say."
The LFP's disciplinary commission, which will decide the punishments, could investigate the Brazilian's accusations against Gonzalez, whom Marseille claim was spat on by PSG's Angel di Maria.
Any racist behaviour carries a maximum suspension of 10 matches. Spitting at another player can lead to a ban of up to six matches.
Kurzawa, meanwhile, could be suspended for up to seven matches for violent conduct after aiming a punch at Amavi.
PSG coach Thomas Tuchel, whose team have lost both their Ligue 1 matches this season, said: "What I heard? He (Neymar) told me that it was some racist insult, but I did not hear anything on the pitch."
His opposite number Andre Villas-Boas told French broadcaster Telefoot: "I don't know. I hope not, there is no place for racism in football.
"It's a serious fault if it happened but I don't think so. Before that, we had a situation with a spit from di Maria."
The ex-Chelsea boss was involved in a spat of his own on the touchline with Tuchel.
When asked what was said, Villas-Boas replied: "Normal insults - you're a s***, no, you are a s*** yourself.
"He told me I played lottery tonight, I told him he played lottery too against Atalanta."
PSG needed two late goals to beat Atalanta in last month's Champions League quarter-final. They went on to reach the final for the first time, before losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
Villas-Boas needled Tuchel further, saying: "You can't invest over a billion and not win the Champions League.
"(Carlo) Ancelotti was here, now he is coaching Everton. (Unai) Emery was here, now he is coaching Villarreal.
"It's hard. They wait for the Champions League.
"I appreciate him. They play well, defend well and aggressively. I told him: 'Unfortunately I can't play like you'."
Meanwhile, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin criticised Marseille fans for celebrating en masse on the streets after the win, given the risks from the Covid-19 in France. Marseille fans did the same thing after PSG's loss to Bayern.
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