RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Brazil international midfielder Thiago Neves has been told he won't play for Cruzeiro again after being caught at a party while supposedly nursing a leg injury.
Cruzeiro's football director Zeze Perrella took to social media on Monday to publicly denounce the 34-year-old.
"To my surprise, I woke up this morning to see our player, Thiago Neves, enjoying a party at the Mineirao [stadium]," Perrella said in a video posted on social media. "He is a player who is recovering [from an injury] and could play in the next match. What was he celebrating?"
Neves, who was capped seven times for Brazil's national team from 2008 to 2012, has endured a frustrating season as Cruzeiro struggle to avoid relegation to Brazil's second division.
Perrella said the former Flamengo and Fluminense playmaker was no longer part of the club's plans despite being contracted until the end of 2020.
"I want to communicate that from now on Thiago is not a part of the plans of this board. We have a contract with him and a contract has to be fulfilled. But from now on, he will train separately. Hopefully he will get a new club because he won't be wearing our shirt while I'm here."
Neves responded with a video message of his own on Monday night in which he denied any wrongdoing and accused the club's board of "constantly exposing" him.
