Former Brazil Walter Casagrande has criticised Santos over the confusing handling of Neymar’s absence against Palmeiras, saying the club lacks transparency while questions continue over why the fit Brazilian star did not even travel with the team.

Casagrande blasts Santos over Neymar situation as transparency questions grow

Former Brazil international Walter Casagrande has launched a strong criticism of Santos over the way the club handled Neymar’s absence against Palmeiras, accusing the club of lacking transparency.

The controversy erupted after Neymar missed Santos’ 3-0 Copa do Brasil quarter-final defeat to Palmeiras despite insisting that he was available to play.

The Brazilian superstar did not travel with the squad and was not named on the bench, creating confusion over exactly who made the decision and why Santos communicated it so poorly.

Casagrande says Santos lack transparency

Speaking during UOL News Esporte, Casagrande criticised the conflicting explanations surrounding Neymar’s absence.

The former Brazil striker said the situation exposed a wider communication problem inside the club.

“There is no transparency at Santos,” Casagrande said while discussing the handling of Neymar.

His criticism centred on the fact that clear explanations only emerged after the match, while Neymar, head coach Cuca and members of the club hierarchy appeared to offer different versions of the situation.

Neymar says he was ready to play

Neymar later made it clear that he had been available for the Palmeiras match.

The 34-year-old said he wanted to play and suggested the decision to leave him out had been made by the coaching staff because of Santos’ demanding fixture schedule.

Cuca also referred to workload management when explaining the situation, while sporting executive Alexandre Mattos said the club had made the decision with Neymar’s physical condition and busy schedule in mind.

The different explanations created uncertainty over exactly how and when the final decision was made.

Why did Neymar not even travel?

Another major question emerged during the same UOL discussion.

Journalist Arnaldo Ribeiro highlighted the fact that Neymar was not reported to be injured yet still did not travel with the squad to São Paulo.

The issue was not simply that Neymar was rested.

He was initially part of Santos’ plans, was reportedly fit, did not play, did not sit on the bench and did not even accompany his teammates to the match.

That absence raised further questions about the club’s explanation and intensified the controversy around the decision.

Reports say Cuca made the decision

Further information later suggested that the decision to leave Neymar out had been made by Cuca before the match.

Reports in Brazil indicated that the coach decided on Tuesday that Neymar would be rested as part of his workload management plan.

That provides greater clarity over who made the sporting decision.

However, it does not completely resolve the criticism surrounding the way Santos communicated the situation before and after the game.

Casagrande questions Neymar’s leadership

Casagrande also went beyond the communication issue and questioned Neymar’s role as a leader inside the Santos squad.

The former Brazil international described Neymar as a “leader without leadership”, arguing that the club’s biggest star should have a stronger presence during difficult moments.

Neymar is one of Santos’ most important figures and carries enormous influence both on and off the pitch.

For Casagrande, that status comes with additional responsibility when the team is struggling.

His criticism suggested that simply being the biggest name in the squad is not enough if Neymar is not consistently present when Santos need him most.

Casagrande did not completely oppose Neymar being rested

Importantly, Casagrande’s comments were not simply an attack on the sporting decision to rest Neymar.

He acknowledged that protecting the forward could make sense because Santos are dealing with a difficult schedule and have more urgent priorities in the league.

The bigger problem, in his view, was the lack of clarity surrounding the decision.

Casagrande argued that if Neymar was being rested strategically, Santos should have communicated that clearly instead of allowing conflicting explanations to dominate the discussion.

Palmeiras defeat made controversy even bigger

The situation became much more significant because Santos suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat against Palmeiras.

Cuca’s side struggled badly in attack without Neymar and now face a huge challenge in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarter-final.

Had Santos produced a positive result, the decision to leave Neymar out may have attracted far less attention.

Instead, the heavy defeat immediately intensified questions over why the club’s most influential attacking player was completely absent.

Questions growing over who controls Neymar’s schedule

The controversy has also created a wider debate in Brazil over who ultimately decides when Neymar plays.

Is the final decision made exclusively by Cuca?

Does the Santos hierarchy have a major influence?

Or does Neymar’s own staff also play an important role in managing his availability?

Brazilian commentators have increasingly questioned the decision-making structure around the superstar, particularly when explanations from different sides appear inconsistent.

Santos now need clarity

Neymar’s return to Santos has brought enormous attention, commercial value and expectation to the club.

That also means every decision involving the former Barcelona and PSG star will be examined closely.

Casagrande’s criticism highlights an issue Santos may now need to address directly.

The debate is no longer only about whether Neymar should have played against Palmeiras.

It is about why a player who said he was fit did not even travel, why the explanations appeared inconsistent and whether Santos have enough transparency when managing the biggest star at the club.

With pressure increasing after the 3-0 defeat, Santos will now be expected to provide clearer answers while Neymar’s role as both captain and leader comes under even greater scrutiny.