UEFA’s decision to ban Neymar for 3 games is quite baffling

Neymar is one of the most prolific and recognizable athletes of this generation, yet even he can’t honestly critique the match officials without receiving a hefty ban from UEFA.

Because of a foot injury, Neymar was unable to aid PSG in their quest for Champions League gold this season, as the Ligue 1 giants tumbled out of the Round of 16 against Manchester United. Without Neymar, PSG blew a 2-0 lead in the aggregate, and the Brazilian’s reaction on the sideline is now one of the Internet’s most underrated memes.

Unfortunately for Neymar, UEFA are a meme themselves. They have become a deserved punching bag for football fans, and their latest decision should receive widespread derision.

After PSG’s loss to Manchester United during the Champions League, Neymar took to Instagram to criticize the official’s penalty call against his team. He called the officiating a “disgrace” and stated that, in his eyes, the penalty goal scored by United striker Marcus Rashford “doesn’t exist”.

Sounds incredibly tame, right?

Well, UEFA took it as a slight upon their honor, and Aleksander Ceferin will not have his referees or VAR besmirched in this unholiest of manners.

So what did UEFA do in response to Neymar’s criticisms of Damir Skomina’s call in March? They have decided to suspend the former Champions League Final winner for three games during next year‘s Champions League campaign.

It is an absolutely laughable punishment that only makes UEFA look like a massive joke, which, for many football fans, is simply par for the course.

Neymar was nothing but respectful after an emotional loss and yet another controversial handball call, and it should be within his right to criticize UEFA’s officials following a loss. The Brazilian forward did not use any defamatory language or profanity, yet UEFA are so thin-skinned as an entity that they believe it is necessary for them to make a statement against Neymar’s criticisms.

Suspending anyone for three games for something as mild as this is ridiculous, but it is even more asinine for UEFA to suspend a marketable, generational talent like Neymar. The man is an absolute wonder to watch as a goal-scorer, passer, and dribbler; he makes mundane moves exciting with his quick feet and quicker thinking.

In reality, Neymar’s suspension does not affect him or PSG, as PSG are a powerhouse team who should be able to walk through the group stages, barring a randomly-selected nightmare group. Given Neymar’s injury history, the “excuse” to rest one of the world’s top-three players could end up helping PSG slightly.

However, the problem is the statement UEFA have made by suspending Neymar for a full three Champions League games, simply because he disagreed with a call and decided to make a – in the grand scheme of things – harmless post on social media.

This has set the precedent that players, regardless of how important they are or if they even played during the match in question, can be suspended severely for openly criticizing a governing body in football on social media. UEFA are in dangerous territory, suspending Neymar a full three games of top-level football in the Champions League, as those types of suspensions are usually reserved for extremely harsh, dangerous acts that occur during games; acts that cause tangible harm to others.

Here’s to hoping PSG and Neymar can appeal this suspension for next season, and here’s to hoping the 27-year-old can return to health to provide football fans around the world joy with his rare talent.

Oh, and one more thing: It’d be helpful if UEFA, as a collective, could spend more time doing its actual job and come up with clear rules for calling handballs in the penalty box so that fewer and fewer season-altering situations like this one arise.