Neymar weeps in emotional last match with Santos
SAO PAULO: Neymar couldn’t hold back the tears in his last match with Santos before joining Barcelona.
Neymar cried profusely as the Brazilian national anthem was sung before the match against Flamengo on Sunday night in the first round of the Brazilian league.
“It was very emotional,” said Neymar as he bid farewell to his team and Brazilian football. “The movie of my life since I was a little kid came to my mind at that moment.”
Neymar announced his move to Barcelona late Saturday, a day after Santos accepted offers from the Spanish powerhouse and its rival Real Madrid and that it was up to the 21-year-old Brazilian striker to decide where he wanted to play.
He is set to sign a five-year contract with Barcelona, becoming the latest addition to a star-filled squad that already includes four-time FIFA Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.
“It’s a dream come true to be able to play for a team like Barcelona. I’ve always dreamed about doing that and now it’s happening,” Neymar said. “It will be a great honor to play with players like Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Dani Alves.”
The striker said he played Sunday to be able to wear Santos’ jersey at least one more time and to hear the fans chant his name again. But when he was introduced, he was booed by the Flamengo fans that dominated the crowd at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia.
During the national anthem the striker couldn’t hide his emotions. He started crying as he stood alongside his teammates, closing his eyes and dropping his head down. He said he also cried a lot at the team’s hotel before heading to the stadium and in the changing room as well.
“It’s not easy for him, but we tried to help him as much as possible,” Santos defender Leo said.
Neymar didn’t play particularly well in his last Santos match, though, struggling in the 0-0 draw.
He had a few chances in the first half, the most significant one a missed shot from outside the area in the 16th minute. He almost scored with a well-placed free kick in the 69th, but goalkeeper Felipe made the stop before the ball reached the upper corner. More than 60,000 people attended the farewell match, which also served as the final test event at the venue ahead of the Confederations Cup. It will host the opener of the warm-up tournament on June 15, when Neymar will be back when Brazil faces Japan. He is only expected to join Barcelona after the World Cup warm-up tournament.
Neymar is leaving Santos a year before the end of his contract, which was intended to keep him in the club until the 2014 World Cup.