In the fourth round of the South American Cup group stage, Santos drew 1-1 with Recoleta away. After the game, Neymar , who scored in this game, publicly responded to the recent slapping incident in the mixed interview area and formally apologized to his young teammate Robinho Jr, admitting that his reaction in the conflict was "a bit excessive" and said that the two sides had completed communication and reconciliation internally in the locker room.
The incident occurred last Sunday during an internal training session at the Santos training base. It is understood that the team was conducting high-intensity confrontation training at the time, and the overall rhythm was more intense. After Neymar was broken through by Robinho Jr in a confrontation, his emotions fluctuated, and he made stricter demands on the young player in the subsequent training rounds, hoping that the other party would "restrain their movements a little." However, this exchange gradually escalated into a dispute, eventually turning into a physical conflict.
Sources at the scene said that there was pushing and shoving during the conflict, and even suspected slapping actions, and the scene was once chaotic. Teammates and coaching staff then quickly intervened to separate the two, and training was briefly interrupted as a result. The incident then quickly spread within the team and attracted widespread attention from the outside world.
In an interview after the game, Neymar responded to the conflict for the first time. He admitted that he had problems with his emotional handling at the time and apologized for the misunderstanding caused to the outside world.
"These things are normal conflicts on the football field and should be resolved within the team." Neymar said, "There were indeed some disagreements during training. My reaction at the time was a bit excessive, but after the incident, we have apologized to each other and sat down in the locker room to communicate. Everyone has understood each other's position."
Neymar further explained that there was no real contradiction between him and Robinho Jr, only emotional loss in a high-intensity training environment. He stressed that he has always had a high opinion and expectation of this young player.
"Robinho is a kid I like very much. I have a special feeling for him." Neymar said, "This is just an internal matter of football. I have had disputes with many teammates before, some even more intense, but these are all normal. The key is to resolve them within the team, not to be magnified by the outside world."
However, the incident did not end there on the training ground. According to Brazilian media reports, Robinho subsequently submitted a legal notice to the Santos club, accusing Neymar of misconduct in the conflict and mentioning that he was suspected of being hit in the face. This move further escalated the incident and prompted the club to launch an internal investigation.
In response, Neymar said in the interview that he was very surprised. He stressed that he originally thought the problem had been resolved internally in the locker room.
"I thought we had talked it over, and I also apologized in front of the whole team. I thought it was over at the time." Neymar said, "But then new documents appeared, which made the whole thing complicated."
He also said that the spread of the incident to the outside world has made the situation more sensitive. "Many people don't understand the specific situation at the time, but after the information is magnified, things change."
Soon after, Robinho himself also gave an interview to the media in the mixed interview area and responded to the incident. The 18-year-old striker confirmed that he had indeed received physical contact from Neymar during the conflict, but he also stressed that the two sides had completed communication and reached a reconciliation.
"To be honest, I was really disappointed at the time because Neymar is my idol." Robinho said, "I have admired him very much since I was a child. He even gave me a jersey when I was eight years old, and I cried at that time. But after the incident, he has admitted his mistake, and I have also taken the initiative to communicate with him. Now everything is fine."
He further stated that he would withdraw the legal notice previously submitted to the club and hoped that the incident would not continue to escalate.
"That was more of an emotional reaction, not a well-thought-out decision." He said, "Actually, this matter should not have been made public by the media, which is not good for both of us. I have talked to my family and accepted his apology, and everything has been resolved."
It is reported that Neymar and Robinho had dinner together the day before the conflict, and there were no obvious signs of tension in their relationship at the training base. Therefore, this incident is also regarded by the outside world as a typical case of "high-intensity training emotional lost in control."
In addition, eyewitnesses revealed that the cause of the conflict may have been related to Robinho's successful breakthrough against Neymar in a confrontation. The latter's emotions fluctuated after being broken through continuously, and he asked the other party to reduce the intensity of their movements, and then the two sides escalated their verbal exchanges and triggered physical contact.
Brazil's "Globo Esporte" said that after the incident, the Santos club attached great importance to it and intervened to understand the situation. However, as the parties concerned successively made public statements and confirmed the reconciliation, the club also tended to treat the incident as an internal conflict and no longer expand the scope of the investigation.