Soccer-Corinthians fine player for wearing boots colour of rival

(Reuters) - Corinthians fined their striker Jo on Sunday for wearing a pair of green boots, the colour of their arch rivals Palmeiras.

The 34-year-old former Manchester City, Everton and Brazil forward wore the light green boots in Sunday’s 0-0 draw away to Bahia.

The club said its directors “spoke with Jo about using the boots in the match against Bahia this Sunday. The player was warned, fined and will not wear them again, neither in training or in games.”

The two Sao Paulo clubs share one of Brazilian football’s fiercest rivalries and Jo apologised to Corinthians fans for what he called “an unnecessary controversy” over footwear he said were “turquoise blue.”

“I would never use green boots because of my history with Corinthians, a club I have loved since I was little,” he said in a statement published online by newsmagazine Veja.

“I would never disrespect Corinthians, much less the fans. I have always honoured this shirt and I always will honour it.”

(Reporting by Andrew Downie; editing by Richard Pullin)