Three injuries in one match — and one of them was Neymar. After leaving the pitch with an injury, the Brazilian star let loose a torrent of anger over Santos’ home ground. But rival club Palmeiras is treating his complaints as nothing more than an excuse, taking a jab at Neymar on social media.
Santos drew 0-0 with Palmeiras on Wednesday in the second leg of their Brazilian Cup quarterfinal. Having lost the first leg 3-0, Neymar’s side exited the competition 3-0 on aggregate. But the result was overshadowed by the dilapidated state of Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadium and a parade of injuries.
Neymar left the pitch injured in the first half. Santos winger Alvaro Barreal and defender Lucas Veríssimo were also injured. Neymar was seen crying as he left the field.
A day later, Neymar took a jab at the pitch conditions on social media, writing: “I’d like to congratulate whoever is responsible for the Vila Belmiro pitch.”
His jab quickly turned into a full blaze: “What I saw yesterday was the worst pitch in the club’s history. Because work was done on it just the day before the match, the whole field was full of holes. Unbelievable! We had to fight against our own pitch on top of the opponent.”
Neymar didn’t stop venting there. Tallying up how the poor pitch had dragged them down, he wrote: “The worst part is that this disgusting state of the pitch forced us to burn extra physical energy. It’s no surprise that three players left the field injured in the first half. Great job, really… an extremely poor job!”
Palmeiras did not let Neymar’s tirade go unanswered. Seizing the moment amid the drama, the club issued a pointed statement praising its own pitch.
Taking a jab at the regular upkeep and quality of their own field, Palmeiras wrote: “We’d like to congratulate those responsible for the Nubank Park pitch… no matter the day, the grass here is always immaculate and free of holes, because it’s cared for every single day. Believe it or not, alongside giving opponents a good pitch, our own players also feel safe running here, because the surface is always even. It’s certainly no coincidence that Palmeiras’ players have had among the fewest injuries in Serie A over the past five years… truly, congratulations. Great job!”
They weren’t finished there. As if teaching a simple lesson in problem-solving, they drove in the final nail: “The only solution to a bad pitch is to build a good one. Simple as that.”
Santos now sit 14th in the league table, just four points above the relegation zone.