Brazilian football icon Neymar Junior has hit another disciplinary hurdle in his career. The Santos captain has been handed a two-match suspension by the country’s sports justice tribunal following a fiery altercation in which he violated rules by covering his mouth while arguing with an opponent.
The Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) announced the official ruling on Wednesday, following an eventful weekend in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Last Saturday, Santos played out a tense 1-1 draw against Bahia. During the match, the 34-year-old forward became embroiled in a heated dispute with Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor, an incident that ultimately earned him a straight red card from the referee.
According to the disciplinary tribunal, Neymar breached a specific protocol prohibiting players from covering their mouths with their hands or jerseys during on-field arguments. Designed to crack down on abusive language and unsporting conduct, this regulation has widely become known in Brazilian football circles as the “Vinicius Junior Rule.” The tribunal concluded that the veteran forward deliberately used this tactic during his clash with Nestor.
The match official’s post-game report shed further light on the chaotic sequence of events. It detailed that rather than heading straight down the tunnel, Neymar charged toward the opposition technical area after being dismissed. He attempted to confront Nestor a second time before quick-thinking teammates and coaching staff intervened to pull him away and diffuse the situation.
This suspension deals a significant blow to Santos as they navigate a crucial stretch of their league campaign. Neymar was already ruled out of their upcoming fixture against Palmeiras due to an accumulation of three yellow cards. With the addition of the new two-match ban from the tribunal, he will now miss a total of three consecutive matches for his club.
Despite the setback, Neymar and the Santos legal team retain the right to appeal the verdict. If the appeal process moves swiftly and proves successful, the suspension could potentially be reduced. Otherwise, the former Brazil captain faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with his return to competitive action unlikely before late November, depending entirely on how the appeal unfolds.
