RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) – Brazil have decided not to appeal against the four-game ban that will keep Neymar out of the Copa America and the Barcelona star left the team hotel yesterday vowing to learn from what he called the “bad situation” arising from his disciplinary issues.
“It was a case of me letting myself go and I got myself into a bad situation,” he said of the yellow card and straight red he got against Colombia last Wednesday.
“Now it’s time to rest my mind and spend time with my family,” he told reporters as he left to go on holiday.
“I hope this serves as a learning experience not just for me but for everyone. It’s one more thing that happens in my life that I will learn a lot from.”
Neymar was handed a four-match ban for the incidents, which were exacerbated by a volley of abuse aimed at the referee after the final whistle had gone in Brazil’s first loss for 12 games.
The ban kept him out of Sunday’s 2-1 win over Venezuela and would extend to include the final, if Brazil reach it.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) did not appeal the ban but hit out at CONMEBOL for their harsh treatment of the forward.
“In a meeting held on Sunday night between Neymar and the technical commission it was decided that the CBF will accept CONMEBOL’s decision to suspend the player for four games, a ruling that puts him out the Copa America,” the CBF said in a statement.
