Neymar's Apology and Santos' Crisis Deepens After Clash with Robinho Jr
Neymar walked off the pitch with a goal, a draw and a storm still swirling around him.
After Santos were pegged back to a 1-1 result by Deportivo Recoleta in the Copa Sudamericana on Tuesday night, the club’s No. 10 did not dodge the subject that has dominated the week: the training-ground clash with 18-year-old teammate Robinho Jr.
He confirmed what had already leaked out of the dressing room – a routine disagreement in a weekend session boiled over into a physical confrontation.
“This was supposed to be resolved between us, it was a misunderstanding in training, and I ended up overreacting,” Neymar told reporters, per ESPN, making no attempt to sugarcoat the incident. The veteran forward admitted that the argument escalated “further than it should have,” leading to a slap in the teenager’s face.
The apology, he stressed, came quickly and repeatedly.
“Immediately after it happened, apologies were offered, we talked in the dressing room, both Robinho Jr. and I,” he said. “He is a boy I have a very special affection for. This happens in football, you fight with your brother, your friend, I’ve argued with several of my friends in football.”
Then came the public mea culpa.
“If they want a public apology to the press, here it is. I had already apologised to him and his family. Yes, I lost my temper. Everyone makes mistakes, it was my mistake, his mistake, I made a bigger mistake.”
Neymar went on to explain that he believed the matter had been closed internally.
“I had already apologised, I thought it was resolved between us in the dressing room. We got together again on Monday, I apologised in front of the whole group, he also apologised. We thought it was resolved, but sometimes people try to get involved and blow things out of proportion.”
The other side of the story arrived soon after.
Robinho Jr, the teenage forward at the centre of the row, confirmed that he had indeed been slapped. No attempt to hide it, no attempt to dramatise it.
“That's what happened [slapped in the face], but, as I said, he apologised right away,” he said. For a player who grew up idolising Neymar, the episode clearly cut deep, but he chose to put the emphasis on reconciliation rather than resentment.
“He realized he had gone too far, apologised several times, and I've already said that the apologies are accepted. Now it's time to focus on the results and what's most important for Santos.”
The youngster spoke openly about the emotional weight of the incident. This was not just any teammate.
“It upset me because he’s been my idol since childhood. He’s a guy I’ve loved very much, ever since I was little. The first gift he gave me was when I was 8 years old, and I cried a lot; I still have it to this day.”
His reaction in the heat of the moment had been drastic. Robinho Jr admitted he had submitted a formal request to terminate his contract, which runs until March 2031, a move taken in anger alongside his agents. That request has now been withdrawn. He insists he is staying and that the relationship has been repaired.
“Even if it was a mistake, he already apologised and admitted his mistake, he was man enough to admit it. I was also man enough to approach him and talk, and everything is fine,” he said. “The people around us say many things that aren’t true, and it’s sad to see that it’s reached this level. But I’m calm, we’ve talked, and everything is resolved.”
On the pitch, though, nothing is resolved for Santos.
Neymar’s goal seemed set to drag the Brazilian giants towards a desperately needed win, a moment of relief after days of noise. Instead, the same old fragility resurfaced. A late strike from Fernando Galeano salvaged a 1-1 draw for Deportivo Recoleta and sucked the air out of Vila Belmiro.
The equaliser did more than spoil a narrative of redemption. It left Santos in a brutal position in Group D.
Four games, no wins. Three points. Bottom of the table.
For a club of Santos’ stature, that is not just disappointing; it is dangerous. The margins in this competition are unforgiving: only the group winners go straight into the Copa Sudamericana round of 16. There is no safety net here, no room for sentimental comebacks or slow-burn projects.
The equation now is stark. Santos must win both of their remaining home fixtures, against San Lorenzo and Deportivo Cuenca, to have any realistic hope of progressing. Anything less, and the campaign tilts towards a humiliating early exit from continental play.
The irony is hard to miss. A team accused of too much fire in training, not enough edge when it counts. If Neymar and this young Santos side are to avoid turning a turbulent week into a lost season, that intensity has to move from the practice pitch to the pressure moments that decide their future in South America.
