Speaking after a 1-1 draw with Deportivo Recoleta in the Copa Sudamericana on Tuesday night, in which he scored Santos’ goal, the No. 10 didn’t shy away from the scrutiny surrounding the altercation. The veteran attacker confirmed that a disagreement during a weekend practice session escalated further than it should have, leading to a physical confrontation with the 18-year-old prospect.
Per ESPN, Neymar told reporters: “This was supposed to be resolved between us, it was a misunderstanding in training, and I ended up overreacting. But immediately after it happened, apologies were offered, we talked in the dressing room, both Robinho Jr. and I. He is a boy I have a very special affection for. This happens in football, you fight with your brother, your friend, I’ve argued with several of my friends in football.
“If they want a public apology to the press, here it is. I had already apologised to him and his family. Yes, I lost my temper. Everyone makes mistakes, it was my mistake, his mistake, I made a bigger mistake. But I had already apologised, I thought it was resolved between us in the dressing room. We got together again on Monday, I apologised in front of the whole group, he also apologised. We thought it was resolved, but sometimes people try to get involved and blow things out of proportion.”