PSG star Neymar has been accused of making a homophobic slur during his confrontation with Marseille’s Alvaro Gonzalez after the Brazilian alleged he’d been racially abused.
The furious fall-out from Sunday night’s heated Ligue 1 fixture took another twist when a Spanish television network used subtitles to suggest Neymar called Gonzalez a ‘f***ing queer’ during a first-half exchange.
The clip was shared widely on social media by Marseille fans with the hashtag #NeymarHomophobe as the French league’s disciplinary panel prepares to meet to discuss the incidents on Wednesday.
A Spanish TV network has added subtitles to an exchange between PSG’s Neymar and Alvaro Gonzalez in Sunday night’s match, suggesting the Brazilian made a homophobic remark towards the Marseille defender
They allege Neymar said ‘p*** maricon’ in Spanish which translates as ‘f***ing queer’ in the direction of Gonzalez
Both Neymar and Gonzalez could be banned for anything up to 10 matches if found guilty of making the insults during a fiery match that saw five players sent off.
The footage, from the 37th minute of the game at Parc des Princes, sees Neymar complaining to the Marseille staff that Gonzalez has racially abused him. The Brazilian points at the Marseille centre-back as he speaks.
But at one point, the Spanish network, as reported in France by RMC Sport, claims Neymar turns and calls Gonzalez a ‘p*** maricon’ in Spanish, a homophobic insult.
However, it is difficult to distinguish whether Neymar actually says this as the commentator speaks at that moment and obscures the player’s speech.
Neymar and Gonzalez clashed throughout Sunday night’s game with the Brazilian accusing the Spanish defender of racism afterwards
The Brazilian was one of five players sent off in a feisty derby between PSG and Marseille
Neymar protested after his dismissal, alleging that Gonzalez had racially abused him
After PSG’s 1-0 defeat, Neymar, who was sent off in the closing minutes after VAR found he threw a punch at Gonzalez amid a mass brawl in stoppage time, alleged Gonzalez called him a ‘monkey motherf*****’ which made him swing for him.
Neymar tweeted: ‘VAR catching my ‘aggression’ is easy… now I want to see the image of the racist calling me a monkey motherf*****.’
He then added: ‘My only regret is not hitting that a****** in the face.’
The Spaniard responded to the allegation on social media, labelling Neymar a ‘bad loser’ before the Brazilian responded to Gonzalez’s denial of the allegation.
He was caught on camera throwing a punch at the Spanish defender during the game
Neymar said he has no respect for the Marseille defender after his alleged racial slur
‘There is no place for racism… Sometimes you have to learn to lose and take it on the field. Incredible 3 points today. Allez l’OM. Thanks family,’ Gonzalez tweeted alongside a picture of himself with his team-mates.
‘You are not a man to assume your mistake, losing is part of the sport. Now insulting and bringing racism into our lives no, I don’t agree,’ Neymar responded on Twitter.
‘I DON’T RESPECT YOU! YOU HAVE NO CHARACTER! Assume what you say mermon … be a MAN RAPÁ! RACIST’.
Andre Villas-Boas, the Marseille boss, said he hoped that racism had not further marred the clash. He told Telefoot: ‘I do not know, I hope not, I hope that nothing has happened’.
The French authorities will determine on Wednesday if Neymar and Gonzalez will be banned
That will be for the French football authorities to work out on Wednesday as they pick through the video footage with the new accusation of homophobia further complicating matters.
Neymar and Gonzalez’s clash came in the midst of a mass brawl that was sparked by Marseille’s Dario Benedetto and PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes following a challenge with the visitors leading by a single goal.
The attempts to restore calm from the man in the middle fell on deaf ears. Layvin Kurzawa and Jordan Amavi were also caught striking out at each other with punches, with referee Jerome Brisard showing the pair straight red cards too.
Paredes and Benedetto were the next players banished back inside after picking up their second bookings.
