Neymar, who recently returned from injury, made his comeback in Santos’ starting lineup for the first time in nearly two months during their Brazilian league match against Flamengo last night. However, the Brazilian star couldn’t avoid controversy once again.
After a long spell on the sidelines, Neymar’s appearances on the pitch have been sporadic, and when he does play, it is often for reasons other than his footballing talent. In his return match against Flamengo at the Maracanã Stadium, Santos lost 3–2, with Neymar failing to score or assist. The defeat has only added to the team’s relegation fears, while Flamengo, on the other hand, is dreaming of winning the league title, sharing 68 points with Palmeiras.
Despite not having a standout performance, Neymar was at the centre of several controversies. Throughout the match, he was repeatedly fouled by Flamengo players, while fans in the stands jeered him with chants of “Neymar, go away!” Frustrated by the treatment, Neymar attempted to lodge a complaint with referee Savio Sampaio but was met with no response. Instead, Sampaio issued Neymar a yellow card and threatened him.
As the match wore on and Neymar’s performance remained lacklustre, Santos coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda substituted him in the 85th minute, bringing on Benjamin Rohlheiser. This substitution appeared to ignite Neymar’s frustration, as he kicked a water bottle on the bench, causing it to spill over some of his teammates. In a visibly dejected mood, Neymar then walked straight to the dressing room, leaving the pitch early. Despite his exit, Santos managed to pull back two goals, but the defeat was inevitable.
After the match, Neymar did not hold back in his criticism of referee Savio Sampaio. “With all due respect, he is very bad and arrogant,” Neymar said. “Referees always say that only the captain can speak with them, and when anyone else approaches, they turn their back and threaten us.”
Neymar claimed he was given a yellow card for approaching the referee, explaining, “I got the yellow card today because I went to speak to him. He told me, ‘If you come to me, I’ll show you a yellow card.’ I asked why, because I thought Flamengo had fouled our goalkeeper, João Paulo, during their goal. This kind of mistake is something we see repeatedly in Brazilian refereeing. Again, I’m saying it, the referee’s behaviour in this match was really awful.”
Santos, currently sitting 17th in the league table, will face league leaders Palmeiras in their next match, which is scheduled for early Sunday morning (Bangladesh time).