Neymar cleared to play in Champions League final

 

Paris St-Germain superstar Neymar will play in the Champions League final as he is facing no further action from UEFA after he broke their coronavirus protocol this week.

The flamboyant Brazilian fired his side into their first Champions League final on Tuesday night, inspiring PSG to a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig to set up a mouth-watering clash with Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

But he risked the wrath of UEFA after the game – as he broke their new ‘Return to Play’ protocol by swapping his shirt with Marcel Halstenberg.

The striker was filmed swapping shirts with the left-back in front of two officials in a seemingly innocent gesture.

The shirt swap goes against recent new guidelines designed to stop the spread of coronavirus and there were some suggestions he could be banned from the final as a result.

UEFA’s recent ‘Return to Play’ document states that “players are recommended to refrain from swapping their shirts”.

It adds that: “non-compliance with the obligations set out in the UEFA Protocol may lead to disciplinary measures in accordance with the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.”

But, as shirt swapping is a recommendation rather than an obligation, it has been confirmed Neymar faces no further action.

He is not the only player to ignore the recommendation, with multiple other players swapping shirts with opponents after recent games.