Neymar was left in tears on Sunday night as Santos endured a humiliating 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Vasco da Gama in what was the heaviest defeat of the Brazilian star’s glittering career.
The 33-year-old returned to his boyhood club earlier this year after a torrid 18 months at Al-Hilal that were wrecked by injuries. While his comeback has brought flashes of quality with six goals and three assists in 19 appearances, Santos are struggling badly in the league, hovering just above the relegation zone.
Things reached breaking point against Vasco as Philippe Coutinho, once Neymar’s Brazil teammate and now back at his own boyhood side, ran the show with two goals. Lucas Piton, David Correa De Fonseca, Rayan and Danilo Neves also found the net in a rout that left Neymar visibly shaken.
At the final whistle the forward collapsed into the arms of a coach before leaving the pitch in tears, wiping his face with his shirt. It was an image that summed up both his personal frustration and the crisis facing Santos.
Afterwards Neymar did not hold back in his assessment. “I am ashamed. I am totally disappointed with our performance. The fans have every right to protest. It was a feeling of extreme shame. I have never experienced this in my life. The tears were from anger. It was total s***. That is the reality,” he admitted.
The fallout was swift. Head coach Cleber Xavier was sacked within hours as the club’s board scrambled to steady the ship ahead of another crucial fixture away to Bahia.
For Neymar the pain of Sunday night will sting for some time. His previous heaviest defeat was a 4-1 reverse with Barcelona against Celta Vigo back in 2015. This was worse, and it came at the club he calls home.
Despite Santos president Marcelo Teixeira hailing Neymar’s return for its commercial impact and emotional pull, the forward himself admitted the move was about rediscovering joy. On this evidence the road ahead looks long and fraught.
Santos remain only two points above Vasco, and unless things turn quickly, Neymar’s romantic homecoming could yet turn into a nightmare.
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