Neymar: Two-match suspension for mouth-covering incident

Neymar will miss Santos' next three league matches after the Brazilian Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) imposed a two-match suspension. The tribunal ruled that the 34-year-old captain violated the specific protocol regarding on-field confrontations.

The sanction stems from Saturday's 1-1 draw against Bahia. Neymar was sent off following an altercation with Bahia midfielder Rodrigo Nestor. The STJD found him guilty of covering his mouth while arguing with the opponent. This action violates the rule established to prevent players from hiding verbal exchanges.

The referee's report added that Neymar ran toward the visitors' bench after the red card. Teammates had to restrain him to stop him from confronting Nestor further. The court cited this conduct as part of the basis for the penalty.

The new suspension stacks on top of an existing ban. Neymar is already out for Wednesday's match against Palmeiras due to accumulating three yellow cards. He will serve the additional two matches for the protocol violation. Santos and the player retain the right to appeal the decision.

The rule against covering mouths was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in April. FIFA passed the amendment to address inappropriate behavior ahead of the World Cup. The change followed a Champions League match where Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni used a jersey to hide racially abusive comments directed at Vinicius Jr.

Miguel Almiron of Paraguay became the first player sent off for this specific infraction at the World Cup. Neymar is not expected to return to action until late November. This marks his third disciplinary removal this season, following a temporary off-field removal in July under a new goalkeeper time-wasting rule.