6 February 2025
Brazilian star Neymar launched a scathing attack on Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, his former coach when he was with Al-Hilal Saudi team, after returning to his old club Santos Brazil. Neymar da Silva, 32, reached an agreement with Al-Hilal club to terminate his contract by mutual consent last week, six months before its end, after playing only seven matches since September 2023.
The Brazilian suffered a cruciate ligament rupture that kept him out for more than a year until last October, and Al-Hilal stated that Neymar could no longer provide the same performance he had been providing.
Neymar left Al-Hilal during the last winter transfer period, and upon his return to Santos, Neymar played his first match against Botafogo, where he participated in the second half and contributed to his team's 1-1 draw, winning the award for best player in the match.
After the end of the match, Neymar harshly criticized Jorge Jesus, in response to the latter's statements in which he said that the player was no longer in good physical condition.
Neymar said: "I felt angry when I heard his statements. I was always ready during training, and I was the one who scored the goals. The performance on the field is what proves readiness, and that is the best response for me."
The Brazilian star added: "I did not have any physical problem that prevented me from playing, but the decisions were in the coach's hands."
It is noteworthy that Neymar only participated in 7 matches with Al-Hilal, during which he scored one goal and provided 3 assists, but his repeated injuries limited his influence with the team.
