KEIR RADNEDGE in PARIS: Neymar appears to have exacerbated the crisis surrounding him, and by association his French club Paris Saint-Germain, with his reaction to rape allegations.

The Brazil superstar denied the complaint registered against him with police in Sao Paulo by a 26-year-old Brazilian woman who claimed he had assaulted her in a hotel in the French capital.

However, in deciding to upload a video of the woman to social media to try to prove he had been trapped, Neymar fell foul of local laws on the publication of  inappropriate images.

Now Neymar, who is in Brazil preparing for the forthcoming Copa America, has been notified that he must answer to questioning by local police on Friday.

The offence can carry a sentence of between one and five years in jail.

Team-mates, led by Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho, and Brazilian confederation president Rogerio Caboclo, have all expressed their confidence in Neymar and belief that he was the victim of a set-up.

Neymar Senior, the player’s father, told Brazilian media that reports of the woman’s injuries would have been due to his son’s action in fighting her off.

Whatever the truth of the matter, the headlines in France will have made grim reading for the Qatari owners of Paris Saint-Germain who are having to cope with a stream of incidents.

In the past six weeks Neymar has incurred suspensions from European federation UEFA for abusive comments about match officials and also from the French federation for slapping  a jeering fan as he collected his loser’s medal in the domestic cup final.

At the weekend sources in Barcelona claimed the Spanish champions were considering a bid to buy Neymar back from PSG. They may now be having second thoughts.

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