Child at Brazil match harassed for receiving Neymar jersey

Brazilian police escorted a boy and his family out of a Corinthians-Santos match after he was harassed for receiving a jersey from sports star Neymar, with Corinthians condemning the incident Monday.

Spectators in the Sao Paulo arena hurled insults and made gestures at the young Corinthians fan after Neymar, who plays for Santos, gifted his jersey to the boy.

The abuse continued even as the family left the pitch via the tunnel leading to players' locker rooms, videos published by media outlets showed.

"On and off the field, there are boundaries that cannot be crossed. Aggression against a child is one of them," Corinthians, one of Brazil's most popular clubs, stated.

"Passion for the club, rivalry and the excitement of football must never override respect, good manners and safety, especially when we are talking about a child," it added.

The boy is eight years old, according to local media reports.

Neymar, whose team won Sunday's match 1-0, voiced regret over the incident.

"There's nothing wrong with a kid liking a player from a different team. You can't treat a child like that," the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star told reporters.

Violence often punctuates matches in stadiums in Brazil and across South America, with both international and local leagues regularly dealing with severe disturbances.