Neymar to be investigated by Uefa for United rant
UEFA have launched an investigation into comments made by Neymar following Paris Saint-Germain’s exit to United in the Champions League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over the French side in Paris.
Match referee Damir Skomina penalised PSG defender Prsenel Kimpembe for a handball in the box after he was adjudged to have handled Diogo Dalot’s shot when he jumped to block the ball with his back to play. However, the ball cannoned off his arm and after a lengthy VAR review the spot kick was given.
It took four minutes and nine seconds for the penalty kick to be taken, and after the match Neymar took to social media to hammer the officials for awarding such a pivotal penalty.
“They put 4 people who know nothing about football to watch the VAR slow motion,” the Brazil international posted on his Instagram story. “There is no penalty. How can it be handball when his back is turned. Go **** yourselves ...”
A statement released by Uefa confirmed they would look into the incident, it read: “UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to conduct an investigation regarding the comments made on social media by the Paris Saint-Germain player Neymar Junior, following the UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.” IT’S a sign of just how quickly United have improved under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that the Norwegian was fielding questions about a title challenge last week.
The caretaker manager was discussing the prospect of catching City and Liverpool next season, a campaign he is yet to be contracted for at Old Trafford.
If being named permanent manager is simply a matter of when rather than if, Solskjaer has a more pressing matter to attend to if he plans to get United challenging for the top spot in 2019/20.
Last week he said the ‘foundations’ were in place, with increased levels of fitness to carry out the Solskjaer gameplan being the major attribute he’s looking to add this summer.
But any hopes of launching a title challenge next season and closing the gap on City and Liverpool is heavily dependant on how the final eight Premier League games of this season pan out, not simply for picking up momentum to take into the summer and the new season, but for securing a spot in next season’s Champions League, rather than the Europa League.
United could yet win this season’s Champions League and success in Madrid on June 1 would make any discussion over their final Premier League placing irrelevant.
But if Solskjaer doesn’t manage to steer United to European glory as a manager 20 years on from his playing heroics in the Nou Camp, then a top-four finish is essential to qualify for the Champions League next season.
That’s not only for the prestige of playing in Europe’s premier club competition, for the possibility of recreating magical nights such as that experienced in Paris a week ago and attracting the highest calibre of new recruits this summer, but also for facilitating a surge towards the top of the Premier League next season. As City and Liverpool have shown this season, standards are at an all-time high at the top of the table. There is very little room for error now if teams want to maintain a challenge for the Premier League. That makes coping with the grind of Thursday night football in Europe and Sunday action in the Premier League increasingly difficult. If United were to end up in the Europa League next season it would already be a blow to their title chances next year. The evidence is there to show just how difficult the top teams have found juggling the Europa League and the Premier League. Since the top four became a big six in the Premier League the teams who have failed to land Champions League football have struggled to make up ground the following season. Tyrone Marshall