Neymar Jr. has addressed the widespread backlash surrounding his recent actions. The Brazilian attacker faced intense scrutiny after opting out of a Santos fixture due to fitness concerns, only to be spotted at a high-stakes poker event in São Paulo later that same day.
Prior to the incident, Santos had confirmed that Neymar remained behind rather than traveling for their Copa Sudamericana match so he could continue focusing on his physical conditioning. Having only recently recovered from a string of injuries, the team aimed to avoid taking any chances regarding his health.
However, pictures later surfaced showing Neymar attending a high-profile poker competition in São Paulo. This ignited sharp backlash from Brazilian news outlets and fans alike, many of whom raised doubts about how the attacker had time to gamble while being sidelined for his team.
Neymar has since broken his silence to defend himself. “People have come out and just keep talking about the fact that I play poker. I did my morning training. I did not go to the match because I had just started training again. The next day was my day off.”
He maintains that he is strictly following the schedule set out with Santos and perceives nothing wrong with attending the event. In his view, the appearance took place on a scheduled day off, following the completion of his required training duties.
The striker concluded his remarks with a sharp jab at his detractors. “Anyway, now I’m preparing for my training. I also want to ask you something: am I allowed to train, or are you going to say something about that as well?”, he stated with visible annoyance.
Having rejoined Santos early last year, Neymar made a homecoming to the team where his professional journey started. Since his return, however, recurring injuries have continued to hamper him, keeping him under constant public scrutiny. A disappointing campaign at the recent World Cup similarly prompted him to step away from international football with Brazil.
