Neymar was left in tears after his Santos side suffered a crushing 6-0 home defeat to Vasco da Gama on Sunday, a result that led to the immediate dismissal of head coach Cléber Xavier. The loss, the heaviest of Neymar's career, saw Vasco score five times in 16 second-half minutes, with Philippe Coutinho netting twice.
Santos, who returned to the top flight last season after their first-ever relegation in 2023, now sit just two points above the relegation zone. Home fans turned their backs to the pitch in protest at full-time, adding to the mounting pressure on the club.
“I’m ashamed,” said an emotional Neymar. “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. To sum up our attitude on the field, it was terrible.”
Neymar, who rejoined Santos on a short-term contract in January after coming through the club's academy, added: “I’ve never experienced this in my life. The tears were from anger, from everything. Unfortunately, I can’t help in every way.”
The defeat prompted Santos to sack Xavier, who took over in April in his first head coach role. The 61-year-old leaves with 21 points from 19 games, while Vasco sit two points behind Santos in the league table.
