In a moment reminiscent of Maradona, Neymar was sent off during Santos’s match against Botafogo after attempting to score with his hand, potentially signaling the end of his second tenure at the Brazilian club.
With the score still tied at 0-0 and less than 15 minutes left, the 33-year-old Santos star tried to take advantage of a rebound in the penalty area by using his hand to push the ball into the net. This action drew an immediate response from the Botafogo players, and the referee promptly issued a second yellow card, ejecting him from the game.
His red card had significant consequences for his team, as just minutes later, in the 86th minute, Botafogo netted the only goal of the match, winning 1-0.
Following the game, Neymar took to social media to apologize to his teammates and fans:
“I made a mistake, forgive me! I believe we could have secured the three points if I hadn’t been sent off. Count me out against them!”
Neymar rejoined Santos in January after a brief period with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. His contract with the Brazilian club expires on June 30, and due to his red card, he will miss the next match against Fortaleza. This means that unless he renews his contract soon, the controversial encounter against Botafogo could mark his final game with Santos.
Meanwhile, the team’s situation is precarious; they are currently in 18th place in the standings, with only 4 wins in 11 matches.
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