Neymar has lashed out at the state of the playing surface at Vila Belmiro following a painful injury exit during Santos' Copa do Brasil clash with Palmeiras. The Brazilian superstar was left in tears after being forced off, later taking to social media to express his absolute disbelief at the conditions provided by his own club.
Neymar has clarified his omission from the Santos squad after watching his side slump to a comprehensive 3-0 defeat against bitter rivals Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil. The 34-year-old forward was left out of Wednesday's round-of-16 first leg entirely, sparking intense scrutiny following the Peixe's toothless display at Nubank Parque.
Santos football executive director Alexandre Mattos insisted that leaving Neymar out of their 3-0 Copa do Brasil defeat to Palmeiras was purely tactical. The veteran forward was omitted from the matchday team sheet, sparking debate surrounding his physical condition and the venue's synthetic surface.
