Neymar sends touching message to Santos after Al-Hilal star’s former club suffer relegation from Brazilian top-flight for first time in 111 years

The Sao Paulo side were beaten 2-1 by Fortaleza while Bahia beat Atletico Mineiro 4-1 and Vasco da Gama bested Red Bull Bragantino to overtake Santos and confirm the fate of Neymar's former team. Had Santos won or either Bahia or Vasco failed to beat Atletico, the club would have avoided the drop to Serie B.

Neymar posted images of himself during his time at Santos, adding the caption: "Santos always Santos".

Alongside Neymar, Real Madrid sensation Rodrygo, who came through the ranks at the Brazilian club before leaving in 2019, wrote his support on Instagram: "I’ll be Santos even if the ball doesn't go in, even if the stadium remains silent, even if the Sacred Mantle fades, even if victory is far away. I’ll be Santos, whether the journey is long, if the journey is hard, Santos in my chest & my soul, my chants & in my palms.”

This is the first time Santos have ever been relegated from the top-flight in their history. Their demise is one of the more eye-opening outcomes of a chaotic Serie A campaign. At the other end, Botafogo surrendered an incredible 13-point lead at the top of the table to end up losing the title to Palmeiras.

While Santos will look to prepare for their bid to return to Serie A, Al-Hilal star Neymar will continue his rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament injury as he looks to get back to full fitness and compete in the Copa America with Brazil.