CBF takes Neymar ban appeal to CAS

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have the remaining matches of Neymar’s current suspension from international football deferred until the next edition of the Copa America.

The Barcelona forward was shown a straight red card for his part in a melee after full-time when Brazil were defeated by Colombia in the Copa America earlier this year.

Neymar appeared to kick the ball at Colombia’s Pablo Armero and attempt to head butt Jeison Murillo, and his initial one-match ban was increased to four by CONMEBOL, South American football’s governing body.

The CBF opted against appealing the length of the ban but, as Brazil were eventually eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the tournament, Neymar has two matches of the suspension remaining.

At present, these will be served at the start of Brazil’s qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup but the CBF appeal against both CONMEBOL and FIFA argues that Neymar should complete his punishment in the same tournament he earned it.

A decision is set to be made before Brazil face Chile and Venezuela in World Cup qualification next month.

CAS said in a statement on Friday: “The dispute before the CAS centres on whether the two remaining match bans should be served during Copa America matches, or during the next official competition organised by FIFA, i.e., Brazil’s qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia to be held on 8 and 13 October 2015 against Chile and Venezuela.

“In its appeal to the CAS, the CBF seeks to overturn the decisions taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and the FIFA Appeal Committee which ruled that the two remaining match bans should be served during the next official FIFA competition.

“As all parties have agreed to an expedited procedure, the CAS will put in place a procedural timetable for this arbitration which allows for a decision to be issued to the parties by early October 2015.”