Barca file complaint against former Real players

BARCELONA (Reuters) – Barcelona have filed a formal complaint against two former Real Madrid players turned pundits after they suggested Barca forward Neymar deserved the kick he received from Real midfielder Isco in this month’s La Liga ‘Clasico’.

Isco, who had come on as a substitute 10 minutes into the second half of Barca’s 4-0 win at the Bernabeu, lashed out in apparent frustration at Neymar in the 85th minute and was shown a straight red card.

According to Barca, former Real players Manolo Sanchis and Poli Rincon “publically and repeatedly justified the aggression” on Spanish radio and the club said on Monday they had filed a complaint with a Spanish government commission that seeks to combat violence in sport.

“FC Barcelona believes these statements to be an incitement to violence and therefore ask for action from the anti-violence commission,” the club said in a statement on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es).

Spanish authorities have been seeking to crack down on violence and verbal abuse in soccer since a Deportivo La Coruna fan was killed last year in organised fighting before a La Liga game at Atletico Madrid.

(Writing by Iain Rogers, editing by Justin Palmer)