After being given one of the most peculiar red cards of the season, Neymar has finally spoken out. When his boyhood club hosted Botafogo, the Brazilian champions from the previous season, at the Estadio Urbano Caldeira on Sunday, the attention was immediately focused on the former Barcelona winger making his first appearance in Santos’ starting lineup since mid-April.
After 11 games this season and just two wins, Santos is starting to look a little worse for wear. They were expecting to get back on track this weekend. But then, in a strange instant, everything was different. Neymar was shown a second yellow card in the 76th minute for purposefully handling the ball in an attempt to knock in a rebound after being booked late in the first half. View the incident below:
Davi de Oliveira, the referee, was forced to give the 33-year-old a second yellow card. To maximize their numerical advantage, Botafogo scored the game’s lone goal ten minutes later.
Neymar Reacts To Strange Red Card
He issued a heartfelt apology to his fans and teammates
Neymar apologized profusely to his teammates and supporters on Instagram following the game. He wrote (see his untranslated post below) according to World Soccer Talk:
“We occasionally make mistakes out of a desperate attempt to score. I want to express my regret to the supporters as well as my teammates. Please pardon me; I was mistaken! We would have received three points today if I hadn’t been sent off. Congratulations to all members of the team for their excellent performance today. You can accuse me of those three things!
Additionally, Neymar expressed his displeasure with the referee by attacking him in a second Instagram story: P.S. The referee was playing about with the first yellow, but the second one was fair. I’ve already been booked for one infraction. Really, this referee is awful. This is only my viewpoint; please don’t punish me further.
Given that Neymar’s current contract with Santos expires on June 30, the red card could be a turning point in his second stint there. The Brasileirao will halt for the 2025 Club World Cup soon after his absence from the team’s next game against Fortaleza on June 12. In response to his son’s predicament, Neymar’s father and agent said:
“Neymar has not yet reached an agreement to extend his contract and returned to Santos to recuperate from a major injury. Neymar intended to recuperate for five months at Santos. Amen, if he could play.
Despite the fact that his contract has an extension option through the 2026 World Cup, his father’s remarks have cast doubt on that possibility, and he may have played his last game for Santos.
xz
