According to the Guardian, FIFA has disclosed that it has cleared the Colombian player who is at the center of the incident that resulted to Brazil Neymar incurring a career-threatening back injury during his team's quarterfinals match against Colombia. The football star had fractured his third vertebrae on Friday following his collision with Colombia's Juan Camilo Zuniga, who landed a knee on his back in midflight. The incident, which unfolded on international television, also landed referee Carlos Velasco Carballo in hot water for his officiating a game that posted a record 54 fouls from both camps.
A FIFA statement read, "After an analysis of the matter and the extensive submission and documentation received from the CBF (Brazil football federation), the chairman came to the conclusion that the FIFA disciplinary committee cannot consider this matter in light of the conditions outlined in the FIFA disciplinary code ... to be able to intervene in such a situation."
The 27 year-old was carried out of the game following the collision, ESPN said. After temporarily recuperating in the team's Teresopolis camp in Brazil, Neymar flew back to Rio de Janeiro with the rest of the team but rode separately to the camp.
Brazil's team doctor Jose Luiz Runco has told ESPN that Neymar will be wearing a brace for around 15 days and will undergo rest and medication.
Brazil captain Thiago Silva has since defended Zuniga for his challenge, and told AS that the Colombian had not intentionally harmed his teammate. He said, "Zuniga does not have any nastiness in him. I know him from Serie A (professional football league competition). What he did, I think, was rash. I still have not seen the pictures, but I know that in these circumstances it was difficult to get the ball off Neymar. He was dominating. I am a center-back, and I know that in situations like this one should be looked at more thoroughly."
Brazil's coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, on the other hand, did not share Silva's view on the incident. Scolari earlier claimed that Colombia had been "hunting" his star player.
