Santos star Neymar leads campaign against 'absurd' synthetic pitches in Brazilian Serie A as Thiago Silva, Philippe Coutinho & Memphis Depay also speak out

The ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker returned to his boyhood club in late-January after Al-Hilal agreed to terminate his contract to put an end to a miserable spell in Saudi Arabia. The 33-year-old endured a difficult first game back in his homeland, before he chipped in with a goal and an assist in a recent 3-1 win.

Neymar's early struggles may be down to the fields in Brazil, as the forward is leading a campaign to banish synthetic pitches from Serie A, with the likes of Thiago Silva, Memphis Depay and Philippe Coutinho all sharing the same message.

A strong message was shared by the Brazilian Serie A stars on Instagram. It read: "It's worrying to see the direction Brazilian football is taking. It's absurd that we have to discuss synthetic grass on our pitches.

"Objectively, with the size and representativeness of our football, this shouldn't even be an option. The solution to a bad pitch is to make a good pitch, simple as that. In the most respected leagues in the world, the players are listened to and investments are made to ensure the quality of the pitch in the stadiums. It's about offering quality for those who play and watch.

"If Brazil wants to play a leading role in the world football market, the first step should be to demand the quality of the pitch on which the players play and train. PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL IS NOT PLAYED ON SYNTHETIC TURF!"

Neymar will likely be in action again when Santos take on Noroeste in Serie A on Wednesday, as he bids to build up form and fitness to reach his ultimate goal of playing for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup finals in North America.