Rabat – An eight-year-old boy was forced to leave Corinthians’ Neo Química Arena under police and security escort alongside his family after receiving a shirt from Brazilian star Neymar.
The young Corinthians supporter had held up a sign during the match, which Santos won 1-0, asking Neymar for his shirt.
After the final whistle, Neymar spotted the sign and handed the boy the shirt he had worn during the game. The child was visibly emotional after receiving the gift, but the situation soon took a turn.
As the match was played at Corinthians’ home ground in São Paulo, some home supporters reportedly reacted angrily to seeing the child celebrating with a shirt belonging to a Santos player.
According to Brazilian reports, the boy and his family were subjected to insults and eventually had to leave the stadium under police and security protection. They were escorted across the pitch to avoid further confrontation with the crowd.
Neymar later stepped in to defend the child, stressing that he was simply a young football fan. The Brazilian star said he saw nothing wrong with the boy supporting Corinthians while also admiring a player from another club.
