THE Brazilian Olympic Committee has slammed their men’s soccer team after the squad refused to wear the official Olympic uniform at the medal ceremony.

The Brazilian team won the gold medal Saturday, defeating Spain in a high-octane clash to defend their top podium spot from 2016. Richarlison and teammates collected their medals in their Nike jerseys, which led to the country lambasting the players in a statement.

The Brazil delegation at the Tokyo Olympics were informed in advance that they had to don the committee’s official uniform during the medal ceremony. The official uniform is designed by the Chinese company Peak Sport, while the soccer players sported their Nike kits while on the podium. Their pants were part of the Peak Sport uniform, and the jackets were carelessly tied around their waists.

In an official statement Sunday, the Brazilian Olympic Committee condemned the attitude of the players and promised to take further action.

Brazilian swimmer Bruno Fratus said that the boycott of the Olympic uniform was a clear message. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 bronze medalist said on Twitter that the soccer players did not care about the consequences their actions could bring to other athletes.

The same sentiment was shared by Poliana Okimoto, a 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist. The swimmer said that one of the main aspects of sports was discipline, and the soccer team’s actions were not good for the country’s image.

(SD-Agencies)