Overview
- Neymar left the field with his fingers in his ears as Santos lost 3-2 to Fluminense on Sunday, and many fans read the gesture as a snub during loud boos at Vila Belmiro.
- He later posted on Instagram that it was only an ear itch and said critics were going too far, after an earlier profanity-laced reply to a TNT Sports post that was removed.
- Santos sit 15th in Brazil's top division with 13 points, only one above the relegation zone, and the crowd labeled the team “shameless” after the loss.
- The flare-up followed last week's exchange in which Neymar told a supporter to be quiet after a 1-1 draw with Deportivo Recoleta, then apologized the next day.
- Spanish outlet Diario AS highlighted the incident and his uneven display, a sign that each game now serves as a test before Brazil names its 26-man World Cup squad on May 18.