Neymar Slams Santos Pitch After Injury in Copa do Brasil Exit
Neymar rages at ‘worst pitch the club has ever seen’ after injury in Santos exit
The night was already bleak for Santos. A 3–0 defeat to Palmeiras in the first leg had left their Copa do Brasil quarter-final hanging by a thread, and a goalless draw in the return at Vila Belmiro sealed their exit. Then came the flashpoint.
Neymar limped off at the end of the first half with a thigh problem. The scoreboard stayed unchanged. His mood did not.
Back home and still seething, the Brazilian star took aim not at Palmeiras, but at his own club’s pitch crew and the surface at Vila Belmiro, unleashing a blistering tirade on social media.
“I would like to congratulate the person responsible for the Vila Belmiro stadium pitch,” he wrote on Instagram, the sarcasm dripping from every word.
The irony quickly gave way to open fury.
“What happened yesterday was the worst pitch the club has ever seen,” he continued. “It was full of holes because of works carried out one day before the match. Unbelievable! Alongside playing against the opponent, we were also playing against the pitch.”
For Neymar, the condition of the turf did more than just spoil the spectacle. He claimed it directly affected player safety and the rhythm of the game.
“And to make matters worse, we had to make a greater effort because of its dreadful condition. No wonder 3 players were injured in the first half. Well done indeed... very poor work!”
His own fitness is now in question. “Unfortunately, I felt discomfort in my thigh. I will undergo tests, and I hope it is not serious. We will keep our morale up and focus on what is coming,” he added, trying to pull the focus back to the season ahead even as the anger simmered.
Palmeiras, already comfortable from their first-leg advantage and through to the semi-finals, did not let the criticism slide. They saw an opening and hit back with a statement of their own, laced with the same sharp tone Neymar had used.
The club publicly “praised” the condition of their own pitch, stressing that it receives daily maintenance and, in their words, remains in perfect condition. They went further, saying that level of care gives their players greater security and confidence.
To drive the point home, Palmeiras highlighted one statistic they clearly cherish: over the past five years, they say they are the Brazilian top-flight club least affected by injuries. The message was unmistakable — look at our grass, look at our numbers, and then look at your complaints.
What began as a frustrating elimination for Santos has now spilled into a very public debate over responsibility, professionalism, and the basic stage on which elite football is supposed to be played: the pitch itself.
