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Neymar found himself at the centre of controversy on Wednesday night after a disallowed stoppage-time goal led to a confrontation with a fan, as Santos slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Internacional and edged closer to relegation.
The 33-year-old forward, who rejoined Santos this year, approached the stands following the final whistle at Vila Belmiro stadium, where he engaged in a tense exchange with a supporter. Footage from the incident shows Neymar visibly agitated, making gestures before giving a thumbs up as a teammate intervened and led him away.
Santos had staged a late fightback, with Alvaro Martin Barreal pulling a goal back in the first minute of added time. Neymar looked to have completed a dramatic equaliser just three minutes later with a left-footed effort, sparking celebrations among the home crowd. However, the referee ruled that the ball had not crossed the line, triggering a wave of boos from frustrated fans.
Currently sitting 17th in the 20-team Brazilian Serie A, Santos are in the relegation zone, with the bottom four teams facing demotion to Serie B at season’s end.
Addressing the altercation via Instagram on Thursday, Neymar explained the difficulty of maintaining composure under verbal attack.
"In the heat of the moment, it is difficult to control your feelings when you are unfairly offended," Neymar posted on Instagram late on Thursday.
"I will never argue with fans when they criticise me on the pitch, because they have the right to say whether I played badly or not, and they have every right to boo me! What they can't do is insult me the way they insulted me..."
Despite the disappointment, Neymar reaffirmed his commitment to the club, insisting he would step aside if supporters no longer believed in him.
As the season progresses, Neymar and Santos face mounting pressure to turn their fortunes around and avoid a historic relegation.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @neymarjr
