Cuca denies special treatment for Neymar at Santos and hails No 10's attitude | OneFootball

After Santos' defeat to Grêmio, coach Cuca denied Neymar receives special treatment and praised the No 10's attitude. Having been called up by Brazil for the 2026 World Cup, he is managing pain in his right calf.

According to Diario Do Peixe, Neymar stayed in the city over the weekend, doing physical and recovery work in a gym at his home. He was not available for the match.

Cuca said the forward follows the same rules as everyone, arrives on time to train, completes the same tasks and stays in team accommodation.

He called working with Neymar a welcome surprise and highlighted the player's humility since his own arrival at the club.

The coach said he would go as far as to claim Santos had a direct hand in the recall, citing a recent run of games, enjoyment with team-mates and visible improvement that had been lacking for some time.

He also welcomed having a Santos player in Brazil's final World Cup list and felt Neymar could still help on and off the pitch.

Santos had initially planned for Neymar to be fit to face Deportivo Cuenca on Tuesday in a decisive Copa Sudamericana match, although his involvement is viewed as unlikely given World Cup preparations. If he does not play, his official return would come in Brazil's friendly with Panama on 31 May at the Maracanã, the team's send-off before travelling to the tournament.

Source: Diario Do Peixe