STJD rejects Santos bid to annul match against Coritiba | OneFootball

The STJD has rejected Santos’ appeal to annul their Campeonato Brasileiro match against Coritiba over a mistaken substitution involving Neymar. According to Globo.com, the panel deemed the request unfounded on Friday.

The incident came 19 minutes into the second half, with Neymar off the pitch receiving treatment when the fourth official signalled him to be replaced by Robinho Júnior. Santos said the change was intended for Escobar, Neymar tried to return, was booked, then showed a slip said to indicate the Argentine’s exit.

Santos contended an error of law, claiming the no. 10 was wrongly prevented from staying on while Escobar’s withdrawal was being prepared. In his match report, referee Paulo Cesar Zanovelli recorded that assistant coach César Sampaio verbally confirmed that Neymar should leave.

Auditor Marcelo Augusto Bellizze said annulment required both a legal error and relevance to the result, conditions he judged unmet. He called it an error of fact and noted the substitution card is not set out in CBF or IFAB rules, serving only as a functional aid.

He added that Robinho Jr. could have waited until the correct player left and, once play restarted, the change could not be reversed. The error was also deemed not decisive, as 65 minutes had elapsed and Coritiba led 3-0.

Bellizze underlined the ruling does not absolve the officials, whose responsibility should be examined separately. His vote was supported by the other auditors and the panel’s president.

Source: Globo.com