Giovanni visits CT Rei Pelé and reunites with Neymar at Santos training | OneFootball

Former Santos midfielder Giovanni visited CT Rei Pelé on Friday, taking in training and reconnecting with Neymar as the team prepared to face Athletico-PR.

According to Diario Do Peixe, the club idol also spoke with Elano, now in charge of the academy, and greeted first-team players such as Willian Arão.

Known to fans as Messias, Giovanni had three spells with Santos, making 295 appearances and scoring 161 goals. He featured in the 2010 Campeonato Paulista and Copa do Brasil winning side, though his standout years came in the 1990s.

From 1994 to 1996 he became one of Brazil's leading players and forged a strong bond with the fanbase. He led the run to the 1995 Brazilian league runners-up finish and was the club's top scorer with 18 goals.

Friday's visit also reunited him with Neymar. The pair were team-mates in 2010, when Giovanni returned to Santos to end his career and Neymar, the number 10, was beginning to break through.

Source: Diario Do Peixe

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