Santos: When Neymar lashes out at referee and coach in anger | OneFootball

Neymar Jr

Neymar let his anger get the better of him this Sunday during Santos’ defeat against Flamengo. It escalated to the point where he lashed out at both his coach and the match referee.

At the Maracanã on Sunday, Neymar made no effort to hide his frustration after being substituted in the 84th minute during Santos’ 3-2 loss to Flamengo. The Brazilian star left the pitch without staying on the bench to watch the end of the match. He had been replaced by Argentine Rollheiser with the score already 3-0 in Flamengo’s favor. As he exited, Neymar confronted coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda, then exchanged words with two members of the technical staff before heading to the locker room. Ironically, it was only after Neymar had departed that Santos staged a late surge, netting two goals in two minutes courtesy of Gabriel Bontempo and Lautaro Díaz.

It’s worth noting that Neymar was already furious at halftime over the officiating. He later criticized referee Savio Pereira Sampaio for a yellow card he received for dissent, a booking that will see him suspended for the remaining league fixtures. According to Neymar, the referee was arrogant and even threatened him. "The referee is very bad. Besides being bad, with all due respect, he’s arrogant. That’s the word. Every time they come to the locker room, they say only the captain can speak. When we try to talk, he turns his back and runs away. When I talk to him, he threatens me. It’s complicated. I got a yellow because he threatened me. He said: 'If you come near me, I’ll give you a yellow.' I said: 'Can’t I talk to you?'", Neymar revealed after the final whistle.