Sao Paulo.- What began as a romance is taking tragic airs: the recent return of Neymar to the Santos From Brazil is marked by injuries and controversies of the world star, which has barely played in the last 20 months.
In February, La Torcida del Santos received the idol with a massive party called “Ney-Day”. The former Barcelona and PSG of the PSG returned twelve years later to the club that formed it with the expectation of returning the joy to a newly promoted team to the First Division.
But three months later, Neymar, 33, is again in the infirmary and Santos, sunk in the penultimate box of the championship.
The shadow of his previous adventure in the Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabiawhere he barely played seven games in more than a year due to an important knee injury, now plans on the Paulista club.
The “10” has only played nine matches: seven in the state championship and two of the eight possible in the League.
His scarce performances have been far from what can be expected from the biggest scorer in the history of the Brazilian team, although he had some flashes, such as the first Olympic goal of his career that marked against a fourth division team.
He was injured first during the state championship already mid -April, at his premiere in the Brasileirao, he suffered a new muscle problem after just 34 minutes of play and left the grass between tears.
Neymar “did not yet give all the sports return he could give” the team in which Pelé also shone, Leonardo Bertozzi, commentator of the ESPN chain, also told AFP.
Santos “had much better performance with Neymar than without him. But at the most decisive moment of the Paulista championship, for example, he could not be in the field” and the team was eliminated in the semifinals, Bertozzi recalled.
“Inadmissible”
The “10” now works in its recovery, with your sights to return to the field at the end of May, shortly before the brief contract he signed when he arrived, until June 30.
Meanwhile, the fans is twisted with the results of Santos, a centenary club that last year fell for the first time to the Second Division.
“It is inadmissible that the team we have, with the pieces that were hired, is where it is in the table” League, a spokesman for several players claimed, after invading the club’s land during a training at the end of April.
Ney’s appearances at the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro and in Kings League matches during the recovery period of his first injury either felt well in the fans.
The influence that his father supposedly exerts, Neymar Santos, in the club, has also been criticized.
The striker tried to prevent the dissemination of a biographical podcast that presents his father as a “voracious and feared businessman in the world of football.” But the judge failed against him and accused him of trying a “hateful prior censorship.”
In the Seleçao of Ancelotti?
Santos is not the only team in the expectation of the evolution of the star.
The Seleçao will return in June to play the South American Qualifiers of the World Cup of 2026, by the hand of its new coach, the Italian Carlo Ancelotti.
The still DT of Real Madrid arrives with the mission of making the Canarinha shine again and the next day 26 will announce those summoned for the games against Ecuador in Quito and Paraguay in Sao Paulo, on June 5 and 10, respectively.
Neymar does not play with Seleçao since he suffered a ligament break in the left knee in October 2023 during a match against Uruguay.
Although he was summoned by the Junior Dorival coach last March, he fell from the list due to injury.
Will Ancelotti summon it?
And beyond June, what will happen to the player when he finishes his contract with Santos?
According to the Brazilian press, it is most likely to stay to the World Cup in North America.
“The normal thing would now be to renew the contract (with Santos). Because betting on Neymar today is risky” for a European team, says Bertozzi. “Santos is a particular case, there is more patience” with the attacker, he says.
