Neymar’s presence in Vila Belmiro was certainly one of the highlights of Santos’ night in the first game of the Campeonato Paulista final. Despite the star’s visit, the coaching staff avoided any further contact between him and the athletes on the Peixe squad to avoid a “yay yay” atmosphere in the locker room.
Neymar celebrates Otero’s goal in Santos x Palmeiras
Invited by President Marcelo Teixeira to participate in the ceremony created by the São Paulo Federation, Neymar promptly accepted and left Miami for Baixada Santista in a hurry. After landing in the capital of São Paulo, the player took a helicopter to Santos and arrived just over an hour before the start of the final.
From there, Neymar went straight to Vila Belmiro. The Al-Hilal striker greeted the athletes and members of the coaching staff one by one, but did not stay in the locker room for long. Until he went onto the field to carry the Paulistão cup, the boy from Vila was isolated in the Vila Belmiro press room, talking to former left-back Léo, who now works at the club.
Santos 1 x 0 Palmeiras | best moments | final game 1 | Paulista Championship 2024
The decision not to maintain such close contact between the team and the star of the Brazilian team was thought out by the technical committee. There was a certain fear that Neymar’s presence in the locker room could take the athletes’ focus away from the match against Palmeiras.
On the field, Neymar saw Otero score the winning goal, celebrated a lot and was even honored by the Venezuelan player, who celebrated with his hands over his ears, typical of his idol.
At the end of the game, even with Peixe’s victory in the first game of the decision, the player did not have another long contact with the players. Coach Fábio Carille, despite recognizing the weight of the star’s image, did not want to take his squad’s focus away from the decisive match at Allianz Parque.
“This is Santos’ great moment”, says Isabel | Voice of the Fan
Tags: scenes Santos distances Neymar avoid yays players saints
