Neymar was once again at the center of controversy after getting into a physical altercation with 18-year-old Santos teammate Robinho Jr.
The teenager, son of former Real Madrid and Manchester City forward Robinho, made headlines across the globe when he reported Neymar for physical assault after a training ground bust-up on Sunday.
Robinho Jr. alleged the Brazilian icon “hurled offensive insults” at him, tripped him and delivered “a violent slap to the face,” per ESPN. Santos launched an investigation into the matter, spearheaded by the club’s legal team.
The accusations created a media frenzy across the globe. Now, both Robinho Jr. and Neymar have spoken out about the heated confrontation and what comes next.
Robinho Jr. Explains Neymar Fight, Why He Filed Official Report
The training ground altercation, which stemmed from Robinho Jr. dribbling past Neymar, could have stayed at the Rei Pelé Training Centre and possibly out of the public eye. But the teenager took the incident to the club and, perhaps unintentionally, caused a viral stir.
On Tuesday, he spoke to the press, confirming Neymar slapped him in the face and then explained what prompted him to open a formal case, as well as where the two players stand now.
“It was a situation that upset me because [Neymar] has been my idol since I was a child. He’s a guy I’ve loved very much, ever since I was little. The first gift he gave me was when I was 8 years old, and I cried a lot; I still have it to this day.
“Even if it was a mistake, he already apologized and admitted his mistake; he was man enough to admit it. I was also man enough to approach him and talk, and everything is fine. The people around us say many things that aren’t true, and it’s sad to see that it’s reached this level. But I’m calm, we’ve talked, and everything is resolved."
In case Robinho Jr.’s word wasn’t enough, Neymar celebrated his goal in Santos’ 1–1 draw with Deportivo Recoleta by hugging the 18-year-old.
Neymar Issues Public Apology to Robinho Jr.
Following Tuesday night’s draw, Neymar took his turn at the microphone to publicly take accountability for the incident.
“If they want an apology to the press, here it is," Neymar said. “I’d already apologized to [Robinho Jr.] and his family. I did overreact, yes, in the way I reacted; it could have been different, but I ended up losing my head.
“Everyone makes mistakes; it was my mistake, his mistake, I made a slightly bigger mistake. We got together again on Monday, I apologized in front of the whole group, I spoke to everyone, he apologized too, we thought it was sorted.”
Of course, then the story was splashed across headlines and social media, a reaction that Neymar believes was “obviously” blown out of proportion.
“Anyone who plays football knows this happens: fights, fistfights, slaps, you name it. That’s football, it’s part of the game. Sometimes people try to get involved, they end up interpreting these things in a very different way from how they really are ... it ends up getting blown out of proportion in a very bad way.”
The two seem to have moved past the incident, though, and are now focused on getting Santos back to winning ways. The Brazilian outfit has now failed to win their last seven matches.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Neymar Slapped Santos Teammate—And What Happens Next.
