Colombia defender Juan Camilo Zuniga has taken to social media to send a conciliatory message to injured Brazil star Neymar. Zuniga has come in for some strong criticism after his challenge left the Barcelona forward with a fractured vertebra, ruling him out of the World Cup.
Earlier, he had taken to Facebook to give his side of the story. He's now moved on to Instagram to deliver a more fleshed out explanation of the incident.
From Cotia, the Colombian national team camp in Brazil 2014, I’d like to say that I deeply regret the sad Neymar injury suffered during the game between Brazil and Colombia.
Although I feel this was a normal situation in a game, which had no ill intent, malice or negligence on my part, I want to send a special message to Neymar.
I admire, respect and consider you one of the best players in the world. I hope your recovery is fast, that you come back soon so that we can continue encouraging football as a sport full of virtues and qualities I’ve always put into practice during my 12 years as a professional player.
Given that Brazilians are fairly unhappy at losing their star player, it's unlikely Zuniga's side of the story will see him welcomed into Brazil with open arms any time soon.
[Translation from Football Italia]
