Brazil's Neymar pauses during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Brazil and Colombia

When long-term injuries occur in sports, it's often tempting to demonize the perpetrator of the incident, as has been the case with Colombia's Camilo Zuniga in the wake of the injury he caused to Brazilian star Neymar during Colombia's World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil. While many commentators have depicted Zuniga as a sore loser who purposely injured Neymar, and while some fans have taken to social media to harass Zúñiga's family, the truth might be a bit more complicated, as demonstrated by a public statement Zuniga recently released accepting blame and apologizing for the incident.

Explaining that he "deeply regret[ted] the unfortunate injury Neymar suffered during the game," Zuniga explained that while he felt the "situation was normal in a game, there was no ill intent, malice or negligence" on his part.

Wishing Neymar a "speedy recover," Zúñiga also left a special message for Brazlians fans:

Despite being ruled out of Brazil's historic World Cup campaign, Neymar seems in good spirits, as he recently left a video message to fans on his Facebook page.

Admitting that he was initially terrified by the incident, as he thought it would impact the upcoming season, Neymar took a moment to thank fans for their prayers, and that he was looking forward to his recovery.