Neymar’s return to Santos this winter has not been easy, but he is clearly starting to find his feet again with his parent club. Last night, the Brazilian virtuoso put in another great performance against Bragantino (2-0), putting stars in the eyes of the Brazilian public.
For several months now, Neymar has been one of the most mocked players in the world. A footballing UFO since the start of his career with Santos, the Brazilian playmaker lived up to the high expectations placed in him when he joined FC Barcelona. After a more mixed adventure at Paris Saint-Germain, “Ney” was even sacrificed by the capital club in the summer of 2023. Having become persona non grata due to an unreliable physical condition that created major internal tensions, Neymar was sold to Al-Hilal for 90 million euros. In Saudi Arabia, the nightmare continued for Neymar.
The Mogi das Cruzes native made an interesting start to his career, but was injured during the Seleção’s October 2023 training camp. Absent for over a year after this serious knee injury, the Santos-trained player suffered several relapses which led to him playing just seven matches for the Saudi side. A total flop which prompted the Riyadh club’s directors to get rid of him this winter. Targeted by a small number of clubs, Neymar pushed for a return to Brazil to recharge his batteries. It was a decision that paid off: Santos, interested in the prodigal son’s return, succeeded in their bid, and Neymar is back to square one at 33.
Neymar silences his detractors and is already provoking his opponents
And after a mixed start to his career with the Brazilian club, Neymar has been setting everyone straight for several matches now. Already brilliant last week, the former PSG striker has done it again. Last night, Santos beat Red Bull Bragantino 2-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Campeonato Paulista. Once again, Neymar was the star of the show. Scorer of a splendid goal from a free-kick, Neymar showed that he is clearly coming into his own with a number of classy moves. Although he was taken off in the 78th minute due to muscle discomfort, Neymar reassured fans on social networks that he was not suffering from a serious injury: “I’m fine, I felt a little discomfort and thought it was best to take it easy! It’s been a long time since I played a match with this intensity… I’m so happy to be back in top physical shape! Thank you all for the messages!!!”
And while he could help Santos win their first Paulista championship since 2016, the 33-year-old did not hesitate to throw in a few digs at his rivals when asked which opponent he would prefer to face in the remainder of the competition: “We’re happy with the wins, the set-pieces, that we coach. That’s what a champion team is. The free-kick decides the match. We know that. Anyone who studies soccer knows that it’s set-pieces that win games. Our team has demonstrated this. We work hard and in the game we manage to do it. Do I have a preference for the future opponent? No. Obviously, we don’t want to face the strongest teams, but they’re more scared than I am.” As you can see, Neymar is well and truly back!
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