Payet in Neymar threat row
FORMER West Ham star Dimitri Payet threatened to hurt Neymar before the Brazilian was carried off in tears against Marseille.
The Paris Saint-German forward is now in a race against time to recover before next week’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Neymar was fouled eight times before injuring his ankle in a 77th-minute tangle with Marseille substitute Bouna Sarr.
But PSG’s Thiago Silva claimed: “It’s a shame. Payet said to the referee that he wanted to hurt. That is not football.”
French radio station RMC claimed Payet told referee Benoit Bastien: “Tell Neymar to calm down or we are going to take care of him.”
Marseille players were angered by Neymar’s playacting before his injury. Left-back Jordan Amavi said: “He looks for the foul. He waits for us to close him down and he lets the ball go at the last moment.
“Everyone knows he has talent but he throws himself a bit easily.”
Real Madrid take a 3-1 lead to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday. Coach Zinedine Zidane said: “I don’t like to see players injured, I hope he’ll be back for the game.”