Neymar in tears after worst defeat of his career as Philippe Coutinho embarrasses him
Neymar broke down in tears as his Santos side were dismantled 6-0 by Brazilian rivals Vasco da Gama over the weekend, with ex-Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho, Neymar's former Brazil team-mate, shining for the visitors.
Vasco da Gama had sat just outside of the relegation zone in the Brazilian top flight on Sunday, but it couldn't have gone much worse for Santos.
Lucas Piton gave the away side the lead in the 18th minute, while David Correa da Fonseca doubled the advantage. Coutinho then scored a brace either side of a Rayan penalty.
Danilo Neves rounded off the rout and Neymar was spotted in tears come the final whistle. And he did not mince his words with his post-match assessment of his team's performance.
He said: "I'm ashamed. I'm totally disappointed with our performance. The fans have every right to protest, obviously without using violence ... But if they want to curse and insult, they're in their right.
"It's a feeling of extreme shame. I've never experienced this in my life. Unfortunately, it happened. The tears were from anger, from everything. Unfortunately, I can't help in every way. Anyway, it was total s***, that's the reality."
Santos' latest defeat leaves them 15th in the Brazilian top flight and just two points clear of the relegation zone after 19 games of the season. And club chiefs have chosen to make a change in the aftermath by sacking manager Cleber Xavier.
A short club statement read: 'Santos FC announces the departure of coach Cleber Xavier. The club thanks him for his service and wishes him well in his future career.'
Neymar's return to his boyhood club has not quite gone the way he would have hoped so far. The 33-year-old rejoined the side in January following an injury-hit spell with Saudi outfit Al-Hilal.
Since then, he has scored six goals and notched three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions. His contract is set to expire at the end of 2025.
Santos and Neymar will be back in action this coming weekend as they travel to Bahia. It remains to be seen who will be leading the side for that game following the change in management.
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