Despite disallowed goal, Neymar praises referee in Santos match | OneFootball

After a wave of criticism over the refereeing in his last match, against Remo, Neymar praised Rafael Klein’s officiating on Saturday night in Santos’ win over Atlético-MG. The star left a comment on an Instagram post and praised the referee’s attitude in explaining the disallowed goal for Peixe, which would have put the team ahead still in the first half.

“Now this is a referee who knows how to handle a game, explain the plays... because we’re in the heat of the moment, we want to win and all that, and if the referee is smart, he can earn the respect of everyone on the field!” Neymar wrote in a post made by the profile Sou do Apito.

In the 21st minute, Igor Vinícius cut inside and struck a left-footed shot from the edge of the box. The ball deflected off Gabigol’s arm, which was tucked against his body, and ended up in the net. However, the goal was ruled out by the officials.

At the end of the match, assistant referee Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos explained to Neymar and assistant coach César Sampaio why Santos’ goal had been disallowed.

“If it hits his hand and then you score, it would count, because it’s not a handball offense. But since the goal came directly from it, then football doesn’t allow it,” said the assistant.

  View this photo on Instagram   A post shared by Paulo Caravina (@soudoapito)

Standings situation

Even with the disallowed goal, Peixe beat Atlético-MG thanks to a goal by Moisés and climbed to 14th place in the Brasileirão, with 13 points, five more than Remo. The Pará-based team sits in 17th place, opening the relegation zone, with eight points, two fewer than Corinthians, the first team outside the bottom four.

Next match

Match: Santos x Deportivo Recoleta-PAR Competition: Copa Sudamericana (2nd round) Date and time: April 14, 2026 (Tuesday), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.