Rafael Nogueira
Neymar’s return to Santos may have ended not with a bang but a bizarre miscalculation. In what could be his final appearance for the club, the 33-year-old Brazilian forward received a second yellow card for an inexplicable handball attempt, channeling Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” in all the wrong ways.
With Santos and Botafogo deadlocked at 0-0 and less than 15 minutes remaining, Neymar dived to convert a rebound in the box — with his hand. The move drew immediate outrage from Botafogo players and no leniency from the referee, who issued a second yellow and sent Neymar off. It was his first starting appearance since returning from injury, now cut short in dramatic fashion.
To make matters worse, Botafogo capitalized on their numerical advantage, scoring in the 86th minute to claim a vital 1-0 win. The loss keeps Santos mired in 18th place, having dropped seven of their 11 league matches.
Taking to social media after the match, Neymar apologized for the reckless decision:
“I made a mistake, forgive me! Today, if I hadn’t been sent off, I’m sure we would have gotten the three points. You can count these three points against me!”
The timing couldn’t be worse. Neymar’s short-term contract with Santos runs until June 30th. The red card means he’ll miss Thursday’s clash against Fortaleza, and unless his deal is extended, that moment of madness may have been his Santos swan song. The club’s next league game won’t come until July, following the Club World Cup break.
While fans hoped Neymar’s return could help revive the struggling side, this episode only deepens the uncertainty around both his future and Santos’s hopes of survival.