Marcelo stays in camp despite grandfather’s death
BElO HORIZONTE: The Brazilian football confederation says left back Marcelo’s grandfather has died, but that the player will remain with the Brazil team at its World Cup training camp. The confederation said Pedro Vieira da Silva died early Saturday in a hospital in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 78. The death came a few hours after Brazil beat Colombia 2-1 in the quarterfinals in Fortaleza. Coach luiz Felipe Scolari gave Marcelo permission to return to Rio de Janeiro to be with his family, but the player said he preferred to mourn alongside his teammates. The Real Madrid defender has said in the past that his grandfather was his greatest supporter in football since he was a kid. The news came just after Neymar was ruled out of the World cup with a back injury.
Brazilspokesman gets 4-match ban
RIO DE JANEIRO: FIFA says it has suspended Brazil’s team spokesman from matchday duty for the rest of the World Cup after he clashed with a Chile player. Rodrigo Paiva shoved Chile substitute Mauricio Pinilla as the teams left the pitch at halftime of a second-round match. Paiva denied throwing punches during the incident in Belo Horizonte on June 28, and accused Chile’s team of “deplorable conduct.” FIFA’s disciplinary panel imposed a four-match ban and fined Paiva 10,000 Swiss francs ($11,180). FIFA says Paiva already served the first part of the ban at Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia on Friday. He cannot work at Brazil’s semifinal against Germany in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday, and the subsequent final or third-place match. FIFA says the fourth match sanction is deferred for a two-year probationary period.