I think Cristiano Ronaldo should be punished: Neymar

Neymar feels that his La Liga rival Cristiano Ronaldo should be banned for his misconduct

Barcelona forward Neymar expressed his opinion over Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s violent outburst. The Brazil international lent his support to the Ballon d’Or winner through his statement but also wanted the Portuguese banned for his misconduct.

Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card during Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Cordoba. He was dismissed from the match after he kicked and punched Edimar Fraga and threw a punch at Jose Angel Crespo. However, the latter went unnoticed by the referee. Not long after the match, Ronaldo took to social media and apologized for losing his temper.

Neymar in defence of his La Liga rival said, “It is difficult because sometimes there is provocation.

“It happened to Zinedine Zidane, it happened to me. Nobody has the coolness to remain calm 100 percent of the time.

“We must think with our heads. I think he should be punished.”

He further added, “It is the referee's responsibility to protect players on the pitch, particularly when they are targeted by hard challenges. Hard tackles must be punished.”

“Messi is the best player in the world”

Neymar has been one of the most consistent players in Barcelona. Amid the upheaval at the Camp Nou, the Brazil captain has maintained his reputation by scoring 19 goals in 25 games and taking some pressure off Lionel Messi.

The 22-year-old was asked if Messi could come in his way of becoming the best player in the world, he reverted to the question saying that the Argentine has always had a positive influence on him.

He said, “I have no problem. I've shared a dressing room with Ronaldinho and I never had problems with him. I've played with many great players. Messi is the best player in the world and I'll always have huge respect for him.”