Neymar called Santos teammate 's***', club launches investigation

Neymar Jr. (34) is once again at the center of a scandal after, according to Brazilian newspaper Globo, whose claims are reported by Index.hr, Sportske novosti, and Dnevno.hr, he insulted teammate Gabriel Bontempo during halftime of the match against Chapecoense, sparking heated reactions in the Santos locker room.

Response to critics on the field, conflict in the locker room

The incident occurred earlier this week when Neymar returned to the field after missing the previous match due to a planned rest, although there was public speculation that he had participated in a poker tournament. In the 20th round of the Brazilian championship against Chapecoense, Neymar first scored to give Santos the lead and celebrated the goal with a gesture toward his ears and dealing cards, signaling to critics that their remarks didn't affect him. The visitors then turned the game around to lead 2-1, before Neymar saved a point with a penalty goal in the 89th minute.

However, Brazilian newspaper Globo revealed that the real drama began at halftime. "Sources of the Brazilian newspaper claim that the criticism directed at young players crossed the line of what is considered normal in the locker room. This particularly refers to the situation where he called Gabriel Bontempo 's***' and sarcastically told him that next year in Serie B they would meet Chapecoense again, the league's last-placed team," writes Globo, as reported by Croatian media.

Conflicting versions of events

Sources disagree about the exact nature of the incident. Gabriel Bontempo stated through his public relations service that it was only a "general remark" at halftime and that there were no insults from Neymar. João Ananias, a Santos defender who was also a target of criticism, confirmed in his statement a general reprimand in the locker room but denied any personal incident with Neymar. Neymar's team briefly responded that they "have nothing to say."

History of conflicts with younger teammates

As Globo adds in its report, which is cited by Sportske novosti, this is not the first time Neymar has clashed with young players. Last year (2025), Deivid Washington, who now plays for Chelsea, received harsh criticism from Neymar in the Santos locker room and, according to witnesses, burst into tears. In the first half of this year (2026), Neymar slapped young player Robinho Jr. during training after feeling disrespected during a play. The incident became public, and Robinho Jr. filed an extrajudicial notice with the club regarding the aggression. Neymar later publicly apologized.

Locker room atmosphere and club investigation

This latest situation has further strained relations between Neymar and the rest of the team. This was Neymar's first match for Santos after returning from an unsuccessful World Cup campaign where Brazil, under coach Carlo Ancelotti, was eliminated in the round of 16. Teammates are particularly bothered by Neymar's behavior on the field, where he constantly criticizes every failed play, and some players, especially foreigners, feel intimidated when he starts gesturing toward them in front of fans. There are also complaints about his physical condition.

The Santos management plans to meet on Sunday to investigate all details of this case and determine exactly what happened in the locker room.