Brazil forward Neymar denies having insulted Chilean referee Enrique Osses in Brazil's 1-0 Group C America loss to Colombia, saying the incident was blown out of proportion.
"Practically nothing happened," the Barcelona star said. "I was in the tunnel and I was waiting for the ref to ask him why I was sent off. The whole incident started because some security agents showed up thinking that I was more nervous than I actually was. They were thinking that I was going to hit him or something. And everyone ended up believing all that."
Neymar left the team's Copa America base on Monday after the Brazilian Football Federation decided against appealing his four-game suspension.
He issued an apology via Instagram, explaining that he had decided to leave Chile so as not to "disrupt the concentration of my team."
Sources inside the coaching staff told ESPN Brazil that Neymar's continued presence was disruptive to the team.
The 23-year-old was sent off at the conclusion of Wednesday's defeat to Colombia for an attempted head-butt on Jeison Murillo that sparked a melee, during which Colombia striker Carlos Bacca was also shown red.
On Friday the Barcelona forward saw a provisional two-game suspension increased to four games -- and the remainder of the Copa America -- but the Selecao will not follow up an initial decision to appeal the ban.
"Against Venezuela we shouwed that we can win matches and I think that we can win the Copa America. Brazil is full of great players and I have complete faith in the players who are there, all are stars at their clubs and they will respond to the call," Neymar said.
Neymar added that his family advised him to leave Chile and start his holiday in order to prepare mentally and physically for Barcelona's next season.
"I spoke with my father and then I told Dunga and Gilmar Rinaldi [Brazil coaching coordinator] what he had said and both agreed," said Neymar.