Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Jr. was indeed at the receiving end of verbal racial abuse from Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez if lip reading experts are to be believed.

According to Neymar, the Spanish defender called him a "monkey son of a b**ch" during the Ligue 1 match between PSG and Marseille last week. The Brazilian claims that the red card he received after hitting Alvaro at the back of the head was in direct retaliation to the racial abuse.

However, while Ligue 1 has promised to investigate the alleged racism, Alvaro has not received any penalties as of yet. Neymar on the other hand, was not only ejected from the game in question, he has also been banned from playing two subsequent matches.

Marca reports that Neymar may see some vindication very soon. Brazilian media outlet Esporte Espectacular reportedly hired lip reading experts to analyse video recordings from the match in question. These experts have confirmed that Alvaro called Neymar "monkey."

PSG will be using the same images from the match but the club will reportedly hire their own lip reading experts to come to a definitive conclusion. The results of this investigation will be used by the Ligue 1 defending champions to strengthen their case against Marseille and Alvaro Gonzalez himself.

If found guilty of racial abuse, Alvaro could miss up to ten matches. However, both he and Marseille have denied the allegations. Several other players were involved in the conflict, with PSG's Angel di Maria facing a disciplinary investigation for supposedly spitting at Alvaro.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that Neymar is embroiled in a massive controversy, he is enjoying massive success off the pitch. He recently signed a lucrative endorsement deal with German sportswear brand Puma. The deal is reportedly worth approximately 20 million euros a year. On the other hand, with FC Barcelona currently facing a crisis, it appears as though Neymar will have to settle in with PSG for the foreseeable future. The way the club will support their player in the racial abuse case will play a big role in the status of their relationship.

Neymar Jr.
Neymar was sent off for slapping Alvaro Gonzalez after what he insists was racist abuse from the Marseille defender Photo: AFP / FRANCK FIFE