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Neymar in Tears as Santos Suffer Historic Defeat to Vasco

Neymar’s return to Santos took a dramatic turn on Sunday night as the Brazilian icon left the pitch in tears following a crushing 6-0 home defeat against Vasco da Gama — the heaviest loss of his professional career. It marked the first time in the club’s illustrious history that Santos had conceded six goals in a top-flight home fixture.

The result left the eight-time national champions hovering just two points clear of the relegation zone. Hours later, head coach Cleber Xavier was dismissed after winning only five of his 15 games in charge.

Vasco, who arrived at Vila Belmiro without a league victory in six matches, produced their biggest win in 17 years. Former Liverpool and Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho was instrumental, scoring twice in a vintage performance that underlined his resurgence.

For Neymar, who joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a record £200 million and re-signed with his boyhood club in January after leaving Saudi side Al-Hilal, the humiliation was deeply personal. The 33-year-old — Brazil’s all-time leading scorer — admitted after the match: “I’m ashamed. I’ve never experienced this in my career. The tears came from anger, from frustration. The fans have every right to protest. Our performance was terrible.”

Since rejoining Santos, Neymar has registered six goals and three assists in 21 appearances, but injuries have hampered his impact. Earlier this season, he was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury after breaking down just 34 minutes into his first Serie A start.

Santos, who only returned to the top flight last November following their first-ever relegation, now face another relegation battle. Their next test comes away to fourth-placed Bahia on 24 August, a clash that could define the tone of their survival fight.

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