Neymar blames pitch staff for latest injury: 'Sh*tty job!'

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FT Desk

Neymar has blamed the Palmeiras pitch for his latest injury after the Brazilian superstar had to be taken off at half-time in Wednesday's Brazilian Cup tie between Palmeiras and Santos.

Santos went into the game with a three-goal deficit from the first leg of the tie and were held to a 0-0 draw by Palmeiras in the second leg.

The club lost three players in the first half due to injury - Neymar, winger Alvaro Barreal and defender Lucas Verissimo.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star was in no doubt that the pitch at the Vila Belmiro was to blame, with himself forced off due to a thigh problem.

"I would like to congratulate our stadium grounds manager at Vila Belmiro... Yesterday the grounds were in the worst shape ever seen, full of holes because they decompacted the pitch 1 day before the game," Neymar wrote on social media.

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"UNBELIEVABLE!!! In addition to playing against an opponent, we also had to play against the pitch...and on top of that we had to use more force to start and stop because the pitch is so irregular. It's no wonder that 3 (players) fell (to injuries) in the first half... CONGRATS... GREAT sh*tty job."

Palmeiras hit back at the Santos forward with a sarcastic post of their own praising the work of the ground staff.

"We want to congratulate those responsible for the pitch at Nubank Parque... No matter the day, the turf is always perfect and free of holes, because it is cared for daily," the club posted on Instagram.

"Believe it or not Besides providing a good pitch for the opposition, our players feel safer because the surface is always even when they're running. It's no coincidence that Palmeiras is the Série A club with the fewest injuries over the last five years... Congratulations, really. Great job."

Between the 2024/25 season and now, Neymar has missed games over nine different periods due to injury and fitness issues.

As he went off at half-time against Palmeiras, he could be seen crying.

In the summer, he announced his retirement from international football after Brazil were dumped out of the World Cup at the Round of 16 stage by Norway.

Santos are currently 14th in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, just four points clear of the relegation zone.