Share

Death threats over Neymar foul

Sao Paulo - Colombia's Juan Zuniga received a flood of death threats and racist abuse on social media Saturday as Brazilians reacted angrily to his tournament-ending foul on star forward Neymar.

"Zuniga" was trending on Twitter and messages included a torrent of abusive comment aimed at the Napoli defender after he kneed Neymar in the back, fracturing a vertebrae.

Among the less offensive posts, contributors called the 28-year-old a "monster" and the "biggest villain in the history of football".

The abuse was tempered by other posts which called for calm and said racist abuse was unacceptable.

Zuniga earlier said he did not mean to hurt Neymar in the challenge, which came towards the end of a combative match which saw 54 fouls.

"I never wanted to hurt the player. When I'm on the pitch, I do everything to defend my country and the shirt I wear, but always without intent to injure anybody," he told Globo TV.

"It was a match both teams wanted to win. It got a bit heated. There were strong tackles but the Brazilians were doing the same. It's normal. I didn't make that challenge trying to break his spine. I was defending my country.

"It's a very sad thing. I hope, with the help of God that it's not too serious because everyone knows he's a great talent for Brazil."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2246 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE