Barcelona have slammed the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for its “unwillingness” and “harm” in refusing to deal with Neymar’s Clasico ban.
Reports over the weekend suggested Barca were ready to overrule authorities by selecting Neymar for Sunday’s showdown against Real Madrid, despite the forward’s three-match suspension, but the Catalans ultimately relented as CAS did not respond to their appeal before the game.
A statement on the club’s official website reads: “Due to the legal uncertainty surrounding the lack of an announcement clarifying the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) stance on the matter with under 12 hours to go before kick-off, the Club have decided to focus on sporting matters and will not include Neymar Jr in their match day squad.
“However, FC Barcelona would like to express its surprise with the lack of clarity arising out of CAS’s unwillingness to perform their judicial duties. This harms both the Clubs involved and the competition itself.”