He returned to his old club with high hopes, but Neymar’s second stint at Brazilian club Santos is turning into a bitter disappointment. From the club’s top management to the dressing room, there is now discontent surrounding the Brazilian forward. On-field performance, financial crisis, and deteriorating relations with players and management have all left the 34-year-old star forward’s future at Santos hanging in the balance.
According to Brazilian media, the bitterness between the two sides has now reached such a point that the chances of extending Neymar’s contract beyond December 2026 are slim.
Brazil’s influential sports media outlet Globo reports that anger is growing within the Santos dressing room and management over Neymar’s behavior. The report states: “He has become quite difficult to handle in his daily routine. Some of his selfish behavior has irritated teammates, coaching staff, and club officials. Major questions have also been raised about his leadership after he got into an altercation with Robinho Junior during a training session last May.”
Several off-field incidents have added fuel to the fire. While Santos were on tour in Venezuela for the South American competition Copa Sudamericana, Neymar was seen at a poker tournament in São Paulo. He responded to the criticism on social media. The Brazilian star then appeared to further provoke his critics by celebrating his goal against Chapecoense with a poker-themed celebration.
Amid all this controversy, Neymar himself is believed to be fed up with the routine of football. A report by Zee Globo claims: “Inside information suggests Neymar is fed up with the club’s daily football routine and is considering quitting the game, but his father is pressuring him to continue playing due to various commercial contract obligations.”
However, Neymar’s close associates are also very angry with the Santos authorities. They have raised questions about the influx of people from outside the club’s football department and about administrative opacity. According to them, the club’s infrastructure is very poor, making it difficult for Neymar to plan long-term around a team that is fighting to avoid relegation for the second consecutive year. Neymar is even reported to have spent money from his own pocket on developing the training center and Vila Belmiro stadium.
Adding to this are huge financial debts. Brazilian media claim that Santos owes Neymar more than $17 million. Players have not received their image rights payments for three consecutive months. To address the situation, the club recently paid $1.5 million to Neymar’s family company, NR Sports, using funds received from the sale of academy star Luca Meireles to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Neymar was also reported to have gotten into a heated argument with teammates Gabriel Bontempo and João Ananias in the dressing room at halftime during a recent 2-2 draw against Chapecoense. However, Neymar has denied all the allegations and strongly protested on social media.
The star, wearing the number 10 jersey, clarified his position, writing: “It’s all fabricated lies. Whoever spread this news, please stop spreading these lies. You can ask anyone who was present in the dressing room — it was just a normal team discussion. I spoke, Lucas spoke, Araó spoke, Gabi spoke — we all spoke. We all want to win with a competitive spirit, so discussions among ourselves can get a little heated. But there was no incident of abuse or insulting any young player.”
All in all, the Santos-Neymar fairy tale seems to be ending on a sad note. It remains to be seen whether the ice in this relationship will thaw a little before the contract expires in December, or whether Santos will have to say goodbye to their favorite son on extremely bitter terms.
