Santos appeals Neymar’s two-match ban as November 5 hearing looms
The club’s appeal will be heard on November 5, with Neymar seeking eligibility for Santos’s November 18 match against Coritiba after serving an automatic suspension.
Focal Brief
Santos appealed Neymar’s two-match suspension on October 29, seeking to reduce the punishment imposed for covering his mouth during an argument with Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor. Brazil’s sports tribunal will hear the appeal on November 5.
Focal Facts
- The STJD’s Second Disciplinary Commission imposed the two-match penalty on October 28.
- The incident occurred during Santos’s 1-1 league draw with Bahia on October 24.
- Neymar missed the October 28 goalless draw with Palmeiras after accumulating three yellow cards.
Focal Point
The November 5 appeal ruling will determine whether Neymar’s punishment ends after the November 2 match at Red Bull Bragantino or also excludes him from Santos’s November 18 fixture against Coritiba.
The Superior Court of Sports Justice, known as the STJD, found Neymar in breach of the Vini Jr Protocol, which prohibits players from concealing their mouths during on-field confrontations. He received a direct red card after covering his mouth while arguing with Nestor.
The referee’s report said Neymar subsequently moved towards Bahia’s bench and had to be restrained by teammates. Santos argues that the exchange involved no racist or defamatory conduct and is seeking to have the offence reclassified or the penalty reduced.
Neymar was already unavailable against Palmeiras because the Bahia match also brought his third yellow card. He is due to serve the automatic red-card suspension against Bragantino on November 2, leaving the Coritiba match as the practical issue before the appeal panel. The consequential question is whether the tribunal treats the mouth-covering gesture alone as sufficient for the remaining ban.