Neymar’s subpar play since rejoining his boyhood club in January stunned Santos supporters.
The Brazilian landed at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium following the termination of his contract with Al-Hilal, which was worth £130 million annually.
Due to an ACL injury, the 33-year-old winger played in just seven games and managed just one goal in his one-and-a-half seasons with the Saudi Pro League team.
Neymar went back to his boyhood club to go back to his best, where he played till 2013 before moving to Barcelona.
However, Santos supporters were let down by the Brazilian’s lackluster performance in his first games following his eagerly awaited comeback, despite the transfer of one of the club’s heroes being a hopeful one.
In addition, the winger lost 24 balls and made just one effective dribble in 75 minutes on the field during his first start in more than a year between Santos and Novorizontino.
Even his 79% successful pass percentage was considerably behind the benchmarks he established while playing for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Only one aerial battle and four of sixteen ground duels were won by the Brazilian.
However, Neymar scored in the second leg of the final against Uruguayan team Penarol in 2011, and he was a key component of Santos’ Copa Libertadores victory.
In order to get back to his best shape for the 2026 World Cup, he made an emotional return to the Serie B team with a six-month deal after years spent in Europe and the Middle East.
Marcelo Teixeira, the president of Santos, was very happy to see Neymar rejoining his squad.
He posted: “Welcome, our boy Ney!” on his social media accounts. Vila’s boy (Santos’ stadium, Belmiro). Return to your happiness wearing the black and white shirt. The country of Santos welcomes you with wide arms.
Fans, meanwhile, seem to be criticizing Neymar on social media following two lackluster games.
“He ought to quit playing football,” one of them wrote. “He is no longer able to play,” one person said, while another added, “Ney has nothing left.” For sale
Another said, “I hope he plays for free, I understand why they cut his contract in Saudi Arabia,” which was a reference to Neymar’s deal with Al-Hilal.
“It’s been years since it’s finished,” one person wrote.
According to a Brazilian site, reports broke this week that Neymar, 33, is using a special aircraft to travel to training sessions because he has yet to purchase a home in Santos.
The winger has not yet acquired a new home in Santos’s affluent neighborhood of Morro de Santa Terezinha.
But at the moment, he travels about 500 kilometers from his home in Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro.