'He wants to be the star!' - Neymar launches scathing attack on referee as Santos star reveals what he said to earn suspension ahead of Flamengo showdown

The 34-year-old was the driving force behind Santos' 2-0 win over Remo, ending the club's month-long winless streak with a vintage performance. Neymar provided a brilliant assist and dictated play throughout, but the evening ended on a sour note when he was booked in the 85th minute. The caution followed a heavy challenge from Diego Hernandez, with Neymar’s reaction prompting the referee to brandish a yellow card. The booking triggers an automatic one-match ban, meaning the former Barcelona man will be a spectator for the upcoming high-profile trip to the Maracana.

Neymar did not hold back in his assessment of the official, suggesting that the referee's attitude made communication impossible. The forward claimed he was unfairly targeted despite being the victim of repeated fouls throughout the contest.

"It's always the same," Neymar told SporTV. "It's unfair. I suffered a foul from behind, unnecessarily, at the end of the game. It wasn't the first time. It was the third or fourth. I just went to complain to him. I said, 'Are you crazy?' I already got a yellow card. Anyway, Savio is like that. I think he woke up a bit, as they say, in a bad mood, and came into the game like that. You couldn't even talk to him without him ignoring you, turning his back on you.

"He's the kind of referee who wants to be the star of the game, who has a great lack of respect for all the players. It wasn't just with me. It was with the Remo players too. He doesn't want to talk, he doesn't want to converse. This has to improve. He's the guy who's in charge of the game, who has to command everything. And sometimes we'll complain, as is football, we'll ask why, question. He needs to know how to handle that. If he handles it that way, it becomes very unpleasant, very disrespectful."

The suspension of his talisman is a significant blow for head coach Cuca, who is grappling with a depleted squad. Santos will also be without attacker Rony, who picked up a yellow card in the same match, leaving the attacking line-up looking increasingly thin for the trip to Rio. The injury list further complicates matters, with Vinicius Lira, Mayke and Gabriel Menino all unavailable. Cuca is desperately hoping Gabriel Barbosa can complete his recovery from a calf issue in time to provide some much-needed firepower against a formidable Flamengo side.

While the disciplinary fallout dominated the headlines, the 2-0 result provided much-needed relief for a club that had been spiralling. Before Thursday’s triumph at the Vila Belmiro, Santos had gone over a month without a victory, dating back to a February 26 win over Vasco da Gama. A run of three draws and a defeat had seen them slip down the table, making the points against Remo vital for their league standing. The win moves Peixe up to 13th in the standings with 10 points after nine matches. They now prepare to face Flamengo on Sunday.