Brazil's 19-year-old superstar Neymar revealed that he has been ordered to pay 6,000 euros ($8,000) in damages for branding a referee a "thief" on his Twitter account.He also announced he would appeal against the decision of a court in Sao Paulo.
"It was never my intention to insult the referee," Santos wrote later on his personal website.
His lawyer was not even Neymar the author of the message criticizing the referee Sandro Ricci Meira appeared on his Twitter account after the loss of 2.4 Santos, Victoria in August 2010.
Counsel argued that the message was written by a friend of Neymar, who had access to the account.
Neymar said he deleted the message "immediately" after being informed of its existence.
"My mistake was not necessary precuations," he said.
The judge ruled that he "pay for this neglect," and advised him to ensure that "people can not be named for illegal means."
Neymar has some of the most prestigious clubs in Europe, including Spanish giants Real Madrid have been linked, but the Brazilian national team has recently extended his contract with Santos until 2014.
