Neymar accused of calling Hiroki Sakai a racial slur as Ligue 1 racism row continues

Days after French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet claimed that racism does not exist in football, the latest developments in the Neymar racism row suggests otherwise. The discussions around racism in Ligue 1 were triggered after the contentious PSG-Marseille clash saw as many as five players sent off, with star forward Neymar accusing Brazil defender Alvaro Gonzalez of indulging in racism.

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Neymar racism Ligue 1 row explained

PSG forward Neymar was one of the five players sent off during Le Classique last week after he allegedly responded to a racial slur by slapping Alvaro Gonzalez on the back of the head. While going off the field, Neymar was seen in an animated discussion with the fourth official, with the PSG forward reporting an alleged incident of racial abuse. After the game, the Ligue 1 star was seen reacting aggressively online, as he claimed that he was called a ‘monkey’ during the match.

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After the incident, both PSG and Marseille put out statements, with the Ligue 1 clubs acknowledging that there is no place for racism in football. Alvaro Gonzalez, the player who allegedly abused Neymar took to Twitter as well, as he claimed that he was innocent. Following the incident, Ligue 1 announced that it will investigate the allegations, with the disciplinary commission studying footage of the PSG-Marseille match to determine the future course of action.

Also Read: Neymar Sent Off After Lashing Out At Marseille Star Alvaro Gonzalez For 'act Of Racism'

Evidence of Neymar Hiroki Sakai racism in video footage?

According to media reports, PSG have now sent French football authorities a video which provides evidence of Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez hurling racial abuse against Neymar. The news of PSG sending a video which confirmed that Neymar had been a victim of racial abuse was also confirmed by Brazil's Globo Esporte. Expounding on the same, three Brazilian lip-reading experts, while reviewing footage, confirmed that PSG’s Neymar was indeed called "mono" or "monkey" in Spanish by Gonzalez just before the brawl broke out.

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However, the claims were refuted by other lip-reading experts from Spain, who said that the Ligue 1 defender was innocent. While referring to the Ligue 1 controversy, Spanish radio station Cadena COPE has now claimed that it was Neymar who used a racial slur during the PSG-Marseille game. The station mentioned that the PSG forward had called Marseille defender Hiroki Sakai a "Chinese s***" during the Ligue 1 encounter, with Daily Mail claiming that the French club has video evidence of the same.

The Neymar racism row is yet to see a stern punishment since the investigation into the incident by the French authorities is pending.  

Image Credits: Hiroki Sakai Instagram, Neymar Instagram