Neymar was left in tears after Santos suffered a humiliating 6-0 home defeat to Vasco da Gama on Sunday, a result that led to the sacking of head coach Cléber Xavier. The former Barcelona forward said he was ashamed of the performance, describing it as the worst experience of his career.
"I'm ashamed," Neymar said. "I've never experienced this in my life. The tears were from anger, from everything. Unfortunately, I can't help in every way." The Brazilian international, who re-joined Santos in January on a short-term contract, added that the players needed to reflect on their attitude.
Philippe Coutinho scored twice as Vasco found the net five times in 16 second-half minutes to complete the rout. The defeat leaves Santos just two points above the relegation zone in Brazil's Serie A, and home supporters turned their backs on the pitch in protest at full-time.
Santos were relegated for the first time in their history in 2023 before returning to the top flight last season. Xavier, who took over in April in his first head coach role, leaves with 21 points from 19 games. Neymar, who came through the club's academy before leaving for Barcelona in 2013, described the display as a disgrace to the Santos shirt.
