Neymar has issued a public apology after he was sent off in what could be his last game for Santos.
The Brazilian superstar was given his marching orders in the 76th minute of his side’s clash with Botafogo, when he picked up a second yellow card for punching the ball into the net.
With the score locked at 0-0, the Botafogo goalkeeper palmed a cross towards Neymar and it struck his midriff.
His rival defender was favourite to reach the loose ball and clear it, before the forward jumped forward and palmed it into the back of the net from close range.
Neymar’s dismissal proved costly, as their opponents then scored the winning goal 10 minutes later to take all three points.
This was certainly not the outcome the 33-year-old would have hoped for in his first start since coming back from injury last month.
It marked the latest disappointment of his second spell at his boyhood club, having rejoined Santos in January after leaving Saudi outfit Al Hilal.
Despite huge excitement surrounding the move, fitness issues have seen the ex-Barcelona star restricted to just four league appearances.
And after his latest outing in black and white ended in unfortunate circumstances, Neymar took to social media to apologise to both his teammates and the club’s supporters.
He wrote on his Instagram story: “The desperation to score sometimes makes us commit mistakes.
“I want to apologise to my teammates and also to the fans. I was wrong, forgive me!
“Today, if I hadn’t been sent off, I’m sure we would have gotten the three points. The team played really well today—congrats to everyone. You can put those three points on me!”
Credit: X: @R9FutebolNeymar leapt ahead of a Botafogo defender and punched the ball into the net[/caption] Credit: X: @R9FutebolBoth the Brazilian and the ball ended up in the goalmouth[/caption] The Santos star was left devastated as his red card led to his side falling further off the pace in Brazil’s Serie AGettyAnd while Neymar took responsibility for his side’s loss, he also claimed he had been unlucky to receive his first caution in first-half added time.
He continued: “Note: the second yellow card should be given even if the first one is a joke, I made a foul and I already got a yellow card. How many bad referees there are… OMG.
“That’s just my opinion…please don’t punish me anymore.”
Defeat for Santos was their seventh of the season already, leaving them 18th and in the relegation zone after 11 games so far.
As for Neymar, he will miss the next game against Fortaleza on June 12 through suspension, with his future beyond that unclear.
The skilful attacker joined his current club on a five-month contract, which is due to expire on June 30.
AFPNeymar rejoined Santos at the start of the year, where he previously scored 136 goals in 225 games between 2009 and 2013[/caption]With the Brazilian Serie A pausing for a month for the Club World Cup, this means Neymar will only be able to play for Santos again if he extends his current contract for the league’s resumption in July.
Since rejoining the Sao Paulo outfit, he has made just 12 appearances, scoring three goals, all of which came in the state championship of the Campeonato Paulista.
His disappointment in Brazil comes after his £2.5million-a-week contract with Al Hilal was ripped up, having featured just seven times and scored one goal in 18 months of injury hell.
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