Fan clashes & 6-0 thrashings: How Neymar’s dream Santos homecoming turned into a nightmare

Neymar’s first five months back at his hometown club, Santos, did not match up to the glitzy second presentation that marked his decision to remain with the club for the remainder of the year.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar was restricted to just 15 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood side as he struggled to shake off the injury problems that completely ruined his time at previous club Al-Hilal, and a modest return of three goals and three assists was not enough to justify his base salary of €163,000 per month, let alone the 90 per cent share of every product or marketing action around him that the Brazilian was also entitled to.

However, the huge spike in commercial revenue and social media numbers that Neymar’s return generated outweighed his mediocre contribution on the pitch, and on June 24, Santos extended his contract through to the end of the 2025 season. That deal includes an option for the 33-year-old to stay in Sao Paulo until the 2026 World Cup in North America, where he is still hoping to turn out for the Brazil national team.

“I made a decision and I listened to my heart,” Neymar said after penning fresh terms. “Santos is not just my team, it’s my home, my roots, my history, and my life. Here I can be myself, truly happy. And this is where I want to fulfil the dreams that are still missing in my career. And nothing will stop me.”

Since then, Neymar has played a full 90 minutes in seven consecutive games, his best run in three years, but happiness has been in short supply. Santos have been dragged into a relegation dogfight despite the Brazilian’s physical progress, and with the fans now turning on the team, his dream homecoming has become a nightmare that doesn’t look likely to end anytime soon.