Neymar Criticises Referee After 'Unnecessary' Booking for Diving

Neymar has blasted referee Jair Marrufo for showing him and his Brazil side "a lack of respect" when he booked the Paris Saint-Germain star in the Selecao's 5-0 friendly victory over El Salvador on Tuesday. 

Per Globo Esporte (h/t Mark Jones of the Mirror), Neymar believes it was his reputation that saw him pick up a caution when he went over in the penalty box just before half-time:

"I do not know what I have to do to live with it [this reputation], there's no way I'm going to stand for a situation like this. I think it has to end. But it's not up to me, so much that I did not say anything, I went on with my football.

"It's a lack of respect, not just with me, but with my team-mates as well. Playing with a yellow card is tricky. The guy comes here to officiate a Brazilian national team match, which is a very big selection, and he does that. ... I don't think it is correct.

"If he does not want to give the penalty, it's not a problem, but the card is unnecessary."

Neymar fielded heavy criticism for his theatrics at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Brazil, as shown by TRT World:

The recent friendlies against the United States and El Salvador were Brazil's first outings since Belgium knocked them out at the quarter-final stage in Russia.

Neymar scored from the penalty spot in both fixtures as Tite's side beat the U.S. 2-0 in New Jersey before Tuesday's drubbing of El Salvador in Maryland.

The former Barcelona man is now just three goals away from matching Ronaldo as Brazil's second-most prolific goalscorer of all time:

He will return to action in Ligue 1 on Friday when PSG take on Saint-Etienne at the Parc des Princes.

The defending champions are already three points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after winning their first four matches of the 2018-19 campaign, and Neymar already has four goals to his name.