Tuesday , 17 June, 2025 | 3 আষাঢ়, 1432 Bangabdo
Published: 07:16 2 June 2025
Neymar's fight to return to the field has been going on for a long time. Even though he returned to club football after recovering from injury, fans still have to wait for his return to the national team jersey. Brazil's new coach Carlo Ancelotti has clearly stated that Neymar will not be included in the team until he is fully fit.
However, in the meantime, the Brazilian star has once again come to the center of discussion due to a controversial incident. Neymar took the field for Santos against Botafogo on the 11th matchday of the Brazilian league. This was his first place in the starting eleven since March. The match was important for him, but the end was due to an unexpected incident.
Neymar saw his first yellow card for a foul in extra time in the first half. Then, in the 76th minute of the second half, he fell into a pass box from Gonzalo Escobar. Botafogo goalkeeper Victor blocked it. Neymar pushed the ball back into the goalpost with his hand. The referee immediately showed a second yellow card, which turned into a red card.
This red card was as embarrassing for Neymar as it was for Santos. Santos, who were reduced to ten men, could not turn around after that. In the 86th minute, Botafogo's Artur Guimarães scored a goal to decide the outcome of the match. Santos eventually left the field with a 1-0 loss.
This loss further dropped Santos in the points table. They have only 8 points in 11 matches, which has pushed them into the relegation zone. On the other hand, Botafogo is in ninth place in the table with 15 points from 10 matches. Flamengo is at the top with 24 points.
Neymar's behavior has already started to be criticized on social media. Many are saying that such irresponsible behavior could negatively impact Neymar's career instead of proving his worth on the field to return to the national team. Now it remains to be seen how he emerges from this controversy and proves his worth on the field.
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