MARQUINHOS has jumped to the defence of Neymar amid claims he made a racist remark to Marseille player Hiroki Sakai.
The Brazilian striker was one of five players to be sent off when a brawl kicked off after Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 defeat.
Paris-Saint Germain star Neymar was sent off for his part in the brawl Credit: Icon Sport – Getty
Neymar received a two-match ban for punching Marseille star Alvaro Gonzalez.
According to Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, Neymar called Japanese ace Sakai a “Chinese s***”.
The radio station reports that Marseille “have evidence” that Neymar said it before his scrap with Gonzalez.
But PSG star Marquinhos has insisted his team-mate is NOT racist.
During an interview in Le Parisien-Today, he said: “”I know Neymar, he is someone who has never uttered racist insults.
“It’s hard to say, because I wasn’t in the field or nearby, and I didn’t see the footage.
“But for someone who knows Neymar well, he’s never played with lyrics like these, and I think he didn’t. “
Neymar accused Gonzalez of calling him a “monkey son of a b****” during the clash.
Marquinhos has defended his team-mate amid the race rowCredit: Icon Sport – Getty
But he has since been accused of calling his rival a “f*****g q***r.”
All five of the stars involved in the brawl were hit with match bans.
PSG defender Layvin Kurzawa received a six-match ban.
Leandro Paredes received the same punishment as Neymar, who has one additional game suspended on top.
Marseille forward Dario Benedetto, whose challenge sparked the wild scenes, has been given a one-game ban while team-mate Jordan Amavi will miss the next three.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
