Neymar apologises after red card for handball goal in possible final Santos game
Neymar has apologised after being sent off for attempting to score with his hand in what could be his final game for Santos.
The Brazil international forward, 33, was shown a second yellow card in 76th minute of Santos' defeat to Botafogo on Sunday after flicking the ball into the net with his hand as he attempted to bundle it in on the rebound.
Advertisement
Botafogo players instantly protested, the goal was disallowed and Neymar was booked. Having already been shown a yellow card in first-half stoppage time, he was subsequently sent off.
'The desperation to score a goal sometimes makes us make mistakes,' Neymar later wrote on Instagram. 'I want to apologise to my teammates and also to the fans.
'I made a mistake, forgive me. Today, if I hadn't been sent off, I'm sure we would have gotten the 3 points… The team deserves congratulations for today's game.'
Botafogo went on to score the game's only goal 10 minutes later to secure a 1-0 win and leave Santos 18th in the Brazilian Serie A.
Neymar's dismissal means he will be suspended for Thursday's trip to Fortaleza, his final match for Santos before his contract expires at the end of June. The Athletic reported in May he had been in talks to extend his contract through to 2026.
Sunday's game was just his second league appearance since returning from a hamstring injury sustained in April.
Neymar returned to Santos in January on a short-term deal, marking his return to his boyhood club 12 years after departing for Barcelona. He has provided three goals and three assists in 14 appearances for Santos during the 2025 season.
()
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Socceroos' quick healer ready for date with destiny
Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati has opened up on the six-hour-a-day efforts he put in to make a swift return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, saying the hard work was all worth it so he could play against Japan this week. More than 50,000 fans are set to descend on Optus Stadium on Thursday night to watch Australia's crunch World Cup qualifier against arch rivals Japan. A win for the Socceroos would all but lock in their automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, but a loss or a draw would mean their fate would likely be decided in a high-stakes clash with Saudi Arabia in Jeddah next Tuesday. Circati's hopes of appearing in this international window looked gone when he tore the ACL in his left knee while training with his Serie A side Parma in September last year. Most soccer players who undergo a knee reconstruction take nine months or more to return. Sam Kerr's current recovery is at a whopping 16 months and counting, albeit with another setback along the way. But Circati was back for Parma by May 18 - just seven-and-a-half months after surgery. Back home in Perth and back in the Subway #Socceroos squad 👊Ale Circati is raring to go 💪🇦🇺 v 🇯🇵 - 5.6.25, 9pm AEST (7pm local)🎟️: Live on 10, 10 Play, Paramount+📻: ABC Radio via the ABC Listen App#WAtheDreamState — Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 3, 2025 The 21-year-old impressed in back-to-back 90-minute performances for Parma last month, convincing Socceroos coach Tony Popovic that the centre back was ready for another international call-up. Circati, who is being touted as the next big thing in Australian soccer, revealed playing this week was a big driver during his rehabilitation. "I was ready to play even earlier, but the club slowed it down rather than sped it up," Circati said in Perth on Wednesday. "When you first get your surgery and start your rehab, they ask you, 'What's your goal, what are you trying to accomplish?' "I said, 'Look there's two World Cup qualifiers in June, my goal is to be able to go there'. "I'm lucky enough to be able to do that." The road to an international recall wasn't easy. "I was doing rehab six hours a day," Circati said. "I didn't have much free time. I don't think I had a single day off, other than the break over Christmas and New Years. "It was 9-12 in the morning, go home and have lunch, be back at 2pm and go until 5, 5.30pm. "It's not easy. I wouldn't tell anyone that it's easy. You've just got to be determined to be back better than what you were before." Boosting Australia's victory chances is the fact that Japan have named an inexperienced squad, given they have already secured World Cup qualification. Overseas stars such as Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Daizen Maida (Celtic), Reo Hatate (Celtic), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Junya Ito (Reims) and Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon) are among the big names missing. Nevertheless, Japan still boast plenty of talent and Socceroos striker Adam Taggart hopes Thursday night will become yet another famous occasion in Australian soccer. "I think everyone knows the John Aloisi penalty," Taggart said, in reference to the spot kick against Uruguay that clinched Australia's qualification for the 2006 World Cup, ending a 32-year drought. "It's replayed over and over again. "I was trying to explain to my mum the other day that the game (against Japan) is a similar situation to that. "The win puts us in a fantastic position to qualify. "So to be able to have the chance to create something special like some of those moments that the whole nation has seen over and over again - like a John Aloisi penalty or a Josh Kennedy header - is really special for all of us."
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
Sarah Spain on the future of sports media and women's leagues
Professional sports is big business—and the stakes have never been higher. Sarah Spain, host of the podcast Good Game With Sarah Spain, longtime ESPN personality, and sports journalist, unpacks what those stakes mean for the leagues, teams, companies, and players involved. From the WNBA's breakthrough to the future of ESPN's streaming to the looming legal settlement that could transform college athletics, sports business is at a crossroads. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today's top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. As women's pro sports become more successful, do you worry that it's going to take on some of the toxic qualities of men's pro sports, more aggressive media conversations, bad behavior off the court or off the field? How much is that a looming question that these women's leagues have to sort of grapple with or maybe redefine? Very much. And actually, we saw it last year with Caitlin Clark's entry into the [WNBA]. It was awesome that more people were watching and more people were interested. It also meant talking heads who didn't know the game, weren't watching the games, and certainly didn't understand the intersectionality of women's sports, and how it intersects with race, sexuality, homophobia, misogyny, all those things. And they created damaging and toxic conversations that were actually dangerous to players. There were multiple incidents of players' addresses being sent, and [notes saying] 'I'm going to find you.' Or people showing up in the places the players were and players feeling like they were endangered. Breanna Stewart's wife actually got threats. So I think the attention is great, the investment is great, but what comes with that is an expectation that we'll suddenly turn women's sports into the same as men's. And there's a real gift in it not being the same. There's a real joy in the space feeling different than men's. And I named my show Good Game With Sarah Spain, because originally I wanted to name it The Good Place With Sarah Spain. But that's a TV show, and it would be hard for people to distinguish and find when they looked for it online. But that's how I feel about going to a women's professional sporting event. It's the good place. It is incredibly diverse. It is incredibly kind. Everyone's rooting for their team, and they're very competitive, but there's no fistfights. People aren't getting hammered and falling down the stands on each other. I think that with the NWSL [National Women's Soccer League], for instance, when they had the recent forced purchases of a couple teams due to the toxicity I mentioned, they had a new rule where the majority owner needed to be financially liable as one person. There could be a group of owners, but they required that one owner bear the financial burden, if necessary, and that person had to be a billionaire. That meant that these large groups of women, who have a lot of money but aren't billionaires, were shut out. And it inevitably meant that once again, we were returning to ownership groups where it was going to be most likely a middle-aged white guy that owned it. And that's fine if that person is really dedicated to women's sports, and wants to learn the space and understand everything about it. It's a little tougher if it's another plaything that they have with four other teams, and they don't feel as connected to the space. And, again, #notallmen. But what the problem with the previous iteration of the NWSL was how many owners and coaches it turned out were engaging in toxic or abusive behavior, or at the very least, covering up for each other, sending a coach on his way: 'Thank you for your service.' Nice long letter: 'Thanks for your time here.' While knowing that they were letting them go because of abusive behavior, and letting them get hired somewhere else. And that's not to say that women won't do that and never do that, but there is a belief that you've got to have more women at the highest levels to help prevent those kind of situations, and that kind of atmosphere and culture, from taking over again. Right. I just feel like we're about to enter another HBO Max, Max, HBO, Max, ouroboros kind of situation here. But it feels inevitable. Obviously, during the massive shift away from traditional cable, and the unbundling, where ESPN no longer got $13, or whatever it was, from every human in America who had cable. What a great deal for ESPN, because not all of them were watching ESPN, right? But also, for cable, ESPN was a huge reason that people wanted to buy it. So it was a great partnership for a long time. That goes away, and it becomes quite clear that ESPN needs to try to keep up with the digital side of things, and needs to have a streaming direct-to-consumer service, because people aren't just going with cable anymore. I think for a while, folks who appreciate the television side will still get an approximation of what it used to be. But you're already seeing ESPN2 used to be an incubator for new shows, and creativity, and new talent, and now it's mostly reruns. You're seeing shows like Around the Horn, and others, that are shoulder programming for the live shows, that will start to go away. Because on streaming you don't need to fill a specific amount of time. You just create whatever amount of content you want to have. So they'll start focusing on rights, pre- and post-show Sports Center, and I would say a couple big-property studio shows. But I think those are going to go away more and more. And I think if you also look at ESPN's decision-making around more influencer-type and former-athlete-type content, as opposed to journalistic content, that is unfortunate reacting to the world's, I guess, demands, and the speed and desires of the current younger consumer. But I do worry about how that impacts ESPN's position in the industry. Because what separates them from everyone else is that they're the 'worldwide leader.' If it's on ESPN, it's right, it's accurate, it's vetted, it's journalistically sound. When you've got a Pat McAfee, whose show is produced elsewhere and dropped onto ESPN airwaves, and they wash their hands of the production and creation side of it, and they tell you it's a little bit different—but the viewer doesn't know that. So when he goes on and says things that are factually incorrect, does stories that are—for instance, one he's now being sued for libel—essentially, that aren't vetted, and aren't sourced before he takes them in front of millions. That, I think, impacts how people view everything else on the network, even if it's just subconsciously. When they turn it on, do they still think everything Adam Schefter says is journalistically sound? Or does the fact that Pat McAfee is on the same network. Or Stephen A. Smith, who will say, 'Oh, I can't talk about Dana White hitting his wife on camera; he's a close personal friend of mine.' That's not how journalism works, right? And so when that starts to blur the lines, does the rest of what's coming out on that network get harmed by it? And does it then prevent them from being separated from the pack in a way that they used to be? I don't know. I'm not in charge. It's above my pay grade. From my point of view, yes, and that concerns me. But also, I get that everyone's trying to get the younger consumer, and they seem to like a screaming head influencer or former athlete more than they like someone who knows how to do journalism.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Mamardashvili v Alisson: Could there really be a battle to be Liverpool's No 1?
It's rare that such an outpouring of emotion should follow the exit of a backup goalkeeper. The understudy stopper is often a forlorn figure, a guy simply there to make up the numbers and occasionally cover in times of need. Yet over the years, Caoimhin Kelleher has become much more than a bit-part player at Liverpool, which is why news of his £18million ($24.3m) move to Brentford yesterday has been met with an equal degree of sadness and celebration. Advertisement This was a man, signed from Cork-based Ringmahon Rangers in 2015, who steadily became Ireland's standout goalkeeper and was clearly good enough to be an established No 1. He filled in admirably whenever Alisson was absent and earned the undisputed tag of the best backup goalkeeper in the Premier League. If it wasn't for the continued brilliance of the Brazilian, then Kelleher's journey at Liverpool might have been different. Although he leaves highly decorated with five major medals, his contributions have been limited to just 25 Premier League starts in six seasons. For years, he's made it clear that he wants more. Perhaps it was fitting that he played more of a role in winning the 2024-25 Premier League title. Liverpool's League Cup wins in 2022 and 2024 were made possible through Kelleher's vital contributions, but he watched on during the Champions League win in 2019 and in the latter stages of the FA Cup success in 2022, which are the other trophies he has won. By playing 10 games at the back end of 2024 (three in the Champions League and seven in the Premier League) when Alisson sustained a hamstring injury that ruled him out for almost three months, Kelleher reminded those watching of his high standards. His safe pair of hands helped build confidence when other clubs might have crumbled without their first-choice goalkeeper. In the 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid, it was Kelleher who pulled off multiple saves to keep a clean sheet, as well as denying Kylian Mbappe from the penalty spot. Such was his importance to the team that some Liverpool fans even turned his mistake against Newcastle United in the league in December into a positive, quipping that without it — and the subsequent two dropped points in the 3-3 draw at St James's Park — the fixture schedule meant Liverpool would not have been able to win the league at Anfield in April. Advertisement On a more serious note, there was an acceptance that as much as so many people wanted him to stay, Kelleher needed to play every week rather than every time Alisson was absent, and that leaving this summer was inevitable unless there was a significant change. To earn £18million from a player who was heading into the final year of his contract also represents good business for Liverpool, especially as Giorgi Mamardashvili is already signed up as the next man in line. Yet it's clear that Mamardashvili, signed from Valencia for £29million last summer (he then stayed at the Spanish club last season), will face the same issues, at least initially, in that Alisson remains the first choice for head coach Arne Slot. Mamardashvili, who has sights on becoming the best goalkeeper in the world himself in the future, wants to play rather than sit on the sidelines and is awaiting an update from Liverpool on how often he is expected to be used next season. Unless a decision is made to send him out on loan — a move that now looks unlikely — the 24-year-old will have to bide his time and try to work his way into the team. He has been learning English and preparing for life at Liverpool for some time and is confident about taking up his position in the first-team squad when he returns for pre-season training at the start of July. Breaking up the best goalkeeping department in the country in this way carries an element of risk for Liverpool. Third-choice stopper, Vitezslav Jaros, is also likely to leave this summer as he seeks a loan move to a club within the top-five big leagues of Europe after a year watching from the sidelines. Harvey Davies, 21, will fill in as the third choice if Jaros does head out on loan. But it is Mamardashvili who will be going head-to-head with Alisson for the No 1 spot. Liverpool believe Mamardashvili has the qualities to become the next starting goalkeeper and the long-term replacement for Alisson when he eventually moves on. There are also ongoing concerns over Alisson's injury record after he missed those two months with a hamstring problem in 2024-25. Advertisement Last summer, sporting director Richard Hughes made the decision to keep three senior goalkeepers on board for that very reason and it paid dividends, with Jaros providing cover for Kelleher when he held the fort in November and December. Now if Alisson sustains an injury, the pressure will fall on Mamardashvili to fill in, a highly rated and experienced international, but still one who is untested at Premier League level. Liverpool signed him as a matter of urgency last summer. They had tracked him for months but, after his standout performances for Georgia at the European Championship last summer, the club felt they needed to act quickly with so many eyes watching. Interest in Alisson from Saudi Arabia also fuelled the need for succession planning, just in case any pursuit turned into a formal process. It's understood that interest has cooled, and Alisson's contract still has one year left to run plus another 12-month option in the club's favour. While Mamardashvili's form was not as impressive for Valencia this season as it had been for Georgia, he was part of a team struggling at the foot of the table for a large part of the season (they finished 12th in La Liga), which had a knock-on effect. Playing at Premier League champions Liverpool, a team who face fewer shots at goal and have more possession, will suit his game. It is why he's earmarked as the club's man for the future.
