Brazilian football icon Neymar showcased a rare display of intense frustration, clashing repeatedly with the match official and storming straight to the locker room after being substituted late in Santos’s crucial 2-3 loss to Flamengo.
Tensions flared throughout the highly-charged encounter at the Vila Belmiro, but it was the confrontation between the Santos star and referee Savio Pereira Sampaio that dominated headlines. Neymar, making his first start since an injury layoff, voiced significant displeasure with the officiating after multiple heavy challenges went unpunished, eventually receiving a yellow card for dissent in the 36th minute.
Following the defeat that leaves Santos hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone in 17th place, the forward did not hold back in his criticism of the man in charge.
“The referee is very bad. Besides being bad, with all due respect, he’s arrogant,” Neymar told journalists after the final whistle. “You try to talk to him, and he threatens you.”
The frustration was not limited to the officiating. Speaking to television reporters at halftime, the former Barcelona and PSG player also targeted his own team’s performance, arguing that Santos needed to find him more frequently in attack to generate goal-scoring opportunities.
The situation reached its peak in the 85th minute when coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda decided to replace him with Rollheiser. Visibly angered by the decision, Neymar questioned the change, asking his coach, “Are you taking me off?” before heading directly down the tunnel to the locker room without acknowledging the bench or the crowd.
Despite a late surge that saw Santos pull back two goals from Gabriel Bontempo and Lautaro Díaz, they ultimately fell short, with goals from Leo Pereira, Arrascaeta, and Bruno Henrique securing the 3-2 victory for Flamengo. The defeat highlights the mounting pressure on Santos and their returning talisman.
