October 2023 was the last time Neymar was in the starting eleven, then for Brazil. Then it hurt in my knee, after this there has been a lot of rehabilitation, partying and poker playing. – 481 days he was on the pitch again for his youth club Santos. The Brazilian club have scraped together as much money as possible in the hope that Neymar would bring the club a new golden age.
Believing that Neymar will suddenly be good again is a bit like believing in Santa Claus. Brazilian media are getting their feelings ready for Neymar after his first start at Santos.
The Barcelona legend returned to his boyhood club in a shock move last month.
The world’s biggest flop by far!
After a difficult period with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, where he only played seven games in a year and a half while receiving 100 million euros in annual salary. In other words, 150 million euros divided over seven games = over 21 million euros per game. “Even Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard can’t compete with that.
Wearing the No. 10 shirt once worn by Pele, Neymar began as captain of Santos’ domestic league match against Novorizontino at the Jorjao Stadium.
Despite Neymar playing for 75 minutes of the game, the final score ended as a goalless draw, meaning Santos has been forced to split the points in two consecutive games and take them out of the league’s qualifying zone.
Reacting to his performance in the match, Brazilian outlet Placar wrote: “Neymar, a star who was expected to shine, had a discreet demeanor.
“Expectations around Neymar have not been translated into decisive games. This type of performance from the Santos team could be a point of concern for the next games, as lethality in attack is crucial.”
While A Tribuna described the match as a “poor performance” from both Neymar and Santos as a whole.
Statistics compiled by The Daily Mail revealed that the 33-year-old lost 24 balls, won just four out of 16 ground duels and managed just one successful dribble out of his eight attempts during his time in the match.
However, Santos manager Pedro Caixinha reiterated after the game that he believes his team can still win the league, revealing that Neymar had played more than he should in the game, perhaps leading to the poor performance.
After the game, the Santos boss said: “We want him (Neymar) to have a number of games. The main thing is that this sequence is well planned.
“Considering the pace of his game and his positioning, he had 15 minutes more than planned. But is he in a playing rhythm? Not yet. He has a great desire and availability to do things, and that is also evident.”
Okay, excessively spiteful, but we couldn’t help ourselves. We loved Neymar when he was at his best at Barcelona, after this the sporting has been overshadowed by the extra-sporting injuries and salary demands that have nothing to do with reality for the rest of the world. The phenomenon being talked about is simply the 33-year-old from kick-off in a football match.
