Neymar Apologises After Training Incident With 18-Year-Old Santos Prospect
Neymar came under scrutiny after slapping 18-year-old prospect Hobinho Junior during a Santos FC training session following a dribbling collision. The club opened an investigation, while Neymar admitted to overreacting and apologised to the player and his family.
Hobinho accepted the apology, helping calm tensions as Santos continued a 7-match winless run.
For the Brazilian football scene, the spotlight has fallen on Neymar after his training ground clash with teenage teammate Robinho Jr. at Santos FC. The incident reportedly happened during training when Robinho Jr. dribbled past Neymar, leading to an angry reaction from the veteran forward. Robinho Jr. later claimed Neymar insulted him, tripped him, and slapped him across the face. Following the controversy, Santos launched an internal investigation.
Neymar publicly admitted that he overreacted and said he had already apologized to both Robinho Jr. and his family. He also addressed the squad on Monday, where both players apologized and agreed to move on. The situation appeared calmer when Neymar scored in Santos’ 1-1 draw against Deportivo Recoleta and celebrated by hugging Robinho Jr. on the bench. Robinho Jr., 18, confirmed he accepted Neymar’s apology and dismissed rumors suggesting he wanted to leave Santos.
He instead stated his future remains with the club after recently renewing his contract. Meanwhile, Santos coach Cuca criticized the episode, saying such behavior cannot be treated as normal in football and that the club’s image has suffered. The controversy comes during a difficult run for Santos, who are now winless in their last 7 matches across all competitions.