Neymar on artificial turf: fans want Santos to be firm with star | OneFootball

Santos visits Atlético-MG next Sunday for the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship. The Peixe still doesn't know if Neymar will be available at Arena MRV, which has a synthetic pitch. However, for the fans, the club shouldn't think twice: they need to send the attacking midfielder to the game.

In a poll conducted by Gazeta Esportiva, 65.4% of internet users stated that Santos should send him to the match. Meanwhile, 18% believe the decision should be up to the 33-year-old player, while 16.5% would spare him.

Neymar is training normally but will talk with Vojvoda throughout the week to decide whether to play or not. The attacking midfielder does not like playing on synthetic pitches, like the one at Arena MRV.

Long-standing Criticism

Neymar has never hidden his dissatisfaction with stadiums that have artificial grass. Recently, the attacking midfielder described the pitch at Allianz Parque as “society” and declared that playing on such a field is practically impossible for him, regardless of injuries.

“Playing at Allianz (Parque), for me, is practically impossible. Playing on society is one of the things that bothers me as a player, regardless of my injuries. So being able to play at Morumbi, on a field that is very good, is always better,” he stated.

Moreover, the star was part of a campaign that gained momentum against synthetic pitches, involving several top Brazilian football players, such as Gabigol, Dudu, Lucas Moura, Thiago Silva, and Philippe Coutinho.

They posted images and texts on social media criticizing the use of artificial fields, highlighting that “football is natural, not synthetic” and advocating that the solution for poor pitches is investment in quality fields, rejecting the use of synthetic surfaces in professional football.

Neymar also responded to a post by Memphis Depay recently.

“Artificial turf kills the game. Brazil, when will you listen to the players?” questioned the Corinthians forward in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “I agree,” replied the Brazilian star.

Management's Opinion

Football executive Alexandre Mattos commented on the situation. He stated that the attacking midfielder is available and will talk with coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda during the week.

“Neymar has publicly addressed this (criticism of synthetic pitches) several times. Neymar is always available, respecting his limits. It will be a more technical conversation, between him and Vojvoda,” declared the executive in a press conference.

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