Neymar among 5 stoppage-time red cards, Marseille beats PSG
Paris (AP): Neymar was among five players sent off in stoppage time as Marseille beat bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain for the first time in nine years.
PSG star Neymar got a straight red in Marseille's 1-0 win following an altercation with center half Alvaro Gonzalez on Sunday. Neymar was sent off following a video replay showing he aimed a jab to the back of Gonzalez's head.
As he went off, Neymar told officials that he had been racially abused.
"It's a serious wrongdoing if that's the case but I don't think so," Marseille coach Andre Villas-Boas said. "What we saw, what was visible, is that (Angel) Di Maria spat (on Gonzalez)."
With apparent reference to Gonzalez, Neymar later tweeted "The only regret I have is not hitting the face of this idiot."
In a later tweet, Neymar said "It is easy for the VAR (video review) to see my 'aggression'" and added he was subjected to offensive insults of a racist nature.
"Neymar told me that it was a racist insult. I didn't hear anything on the field," PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said.
"Racism in life, in all domains, in sport, should not exist."
Winger Florian Thauvin scored in the 31st minute of a tense game featuring more than a dozen yellow cards and which descended into chaos deep into stoppage time as punches and kicks were exchanged.
It was Marseille's first victory over PSG since a 3-0 home win in November 2011.
PSG has now lost three straight games 1-0, including the Champions League final against Bayern Munich on Aug. 23 and away to promoted Lens last Thursday.
PSG lost its opening two league games for the first time since the 1984-85 season and Tuchel may find himself under early pressure.
The game ended with PSG defender Layvin Kurzawa and Marseille counterpart Jordan Amavi sent off for fighting in the seventh minute of injury time at Parc des Princes.
PSG's Leandro Paredes and Marseille's Dario Benedetto soon followed before Neymar's expulsion.
"The fight is something very serious. We will deal with that internally with our players," PSG sporting director Leonardo said.
"We will have to look at everything to take a coherent stance but the situation is serious."
Neymar had returned to the side along with winger Di Maria after both were among a total of seven PSG players who had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Right back Alessandro Florenzi made his PSG debut after signing on a season's loan from Roma this week and almost set up a goal after two minutes, only for goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to palm away midfielder Marco Verratti's shot.
Thauvin spent most of last season sidelined with a problematic ankle injury, but made it two goals in two games this campaign following a smart run to the back post to turn in playmaker Dimitri Payet's free kick.
Mandanda denied Neymar on the hour mark and two minutes later Di Maria had a goal ruled out for offside.
Benedetto's effort was also ruled offside one minute later, with Thauvin this time ruled offside in the buildup following a video replay even though he appeared to be level with a defender. Neymar then went close again moments after.
Neymar and Di Maria were among six players who tested positive for COVID-19 following a club-approved trip to Ibiza soon after losing the Champions League final.
Captain Marquinhos and striker Mauro Icardi also tested positive following that trip to Spain and were not in the squad. Neither was star striker Kylian Mbapp , whose positive virus test happened on international duty with France last week. PSG was missing all seven when it lost at Lens.
Forward Serhou Guirassy scored twice as Rennes kept its unbeaten start to the French league season with a convincing 4-2 win at Nimes.
Guirassy netted twice in the first half while defender Nayef Aguerd and midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud added goals after the break for Rennes, which has qualified for this season's Champions League and has seven points from three games so far.
Monaco also has seven points after beating Nantes 2-1 at home thanks to goals from midfielder Sofiane Diop and forward Willem Geubbels, either side of an equalizer from Ludovic Blas.
Promoted Lens followed up its 1-0 win against PSG with a 3-2 win at Lorient. Ignatius Ganago, who netted the winner against PSG, was among the Lens scorers.
Elsewhere, it was: Lille 1, Metz 0; Angers 1, Reims 0; and Dijon 0, Brest 2.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
