Red card before the second half is a minute old
Neymar was shown a straight red card at the start of the second half of Santos against Bahia on Saturday night, and the Brazilian league match finished 1-1. Santos were trailing 1-0 when the referee, after a trip to the VAR monitor, sent off the 34-year-old for something that happened in the centre circle before play had properly restarted.
Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor had spoken about Neymar to the TV cameras at half-time. As the teams lined up again, the two exchanged words and Neymar turned back toward Nestor with a hand over his mouth. Nestor flagged it to the referee, who reviewed the footage and gave the red.
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The Vinicius rule arrives in Brazil
The dismissal came under the so-called Vinicius Junior law, introduced ahead of this year’s World Cup. It calls for a straight red card when a player covers his mouth to say something malicious to an opponent, and Brazil’s top flight applies it too.
Nestor told SporTV that the words were disrespectful to him and to the Bahia shirt. He called Neymar an idol who had “failed as a person” on the night, and he declined to repeat what was said, pointing out that children were watching. Neymar admitted he was wrong to cover his mouth, but said he had not said anything to Nestor.
Santos fought on with ten men
The red did not end Santos’s night. They found an equaliser late on to leave with a point against Bahia, who had led from the first half. Neymar will now wait to learn whether the card brings a suspension.
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