Neymar has slammed the Santos FC groundskeeping staff and pitch conditions at Vila Belmiro after suffering a right hamstring injury during their Copa do Brasil quarterfinal match against Palmeiras. Neymar was forced off in tears just before halftime during the goalless second-leg draw, which eliminated Santos 3-0 on aggregate. Taking to social media, Neymar blasted the state of the turf.
He stated that decompaction work done the day before left the pitch uneven, full of holes, and directly responsible for multiple first-half injuries. “I want to congratulate our groundsman at Vila Belmiro. Yesterday, it was the worst pitch the stadium has ever seen, riddled with holes, because they had to uncompact it the day before the match,” he wrote. “Unbelievable! On top of playing against the opposition, we were battling the pitch itself.
And to top it all off, we had to put in extra effort during acceleration and braking because the surface was so uneven. “It’s no wonder three players got injured in the first half. Congratulations, then… What a load of crap job.’ Santos medical staff are evaluating the hamstring strain, and the forward is expected to miss upcoming fixtures