In Round 25 of the Brazilian Serie A, Santos secured a crucial 1-0 away victory against Corinthians in their battle for survival. After the match, Santos forward Neymar gave an interview.

Neymar explains his absence from Santos' first Copa do Brasil quarterfinal match against Palmeiras last week

Neymar stated that he was fully fit and ready to play at that time. He even requested that his personal sponsor Puma create custom boots suited to Palmeiras' artificial turf pitch. However, coach Cuca ultimately decided not to include him in the squad for that match.

Neymar said: "I could have played in the last match against Palmeiras. I even prepared a pair of boots suitable for artificial grass—ones with shorter studs designed for that surface. I asked Puma to make them for me, but the decision not to include me came from the coaching staff."

"If that match had ended 0-0 or 1-1, everyone would be talking about 'Master Cuca' instead of just coach Cuca. But that's football, that's part of the game... We didn't expect that result (Santos 0-3 Palmeiras)."

"In football matches, comebacks happen, extraordinary performances happen. Who knows what might happen on Wednesday? We'll go there and enjoy the game. All the pressure is on Palmeiras, the second-strongest team in Brazil. The pressure is on them, and we'll enjoy playing at Vila Belmiro on Wednesday."

"It's just another game in my career. I've competed in the biggest competitions and scored goals in all sorts of places, in all sorts of finals. This will be another challenge for me to enjoy the game. Of course, those who come to the stadium on Wednesday will also enjoy Santos' football."

Following the 0-3 loss in the first leg, Santos must win by at least 4 goals to advance to the semifinals. If they win by 3 goals, the teams will go to a penalty shootout.

Neymar explains that the headband is a tribute to his friend Memphis Depay

Neymar said: "I promised him earlier that I would wear this headband in a certain match. It turned out I forgot to bring the one he gave me last year, so this time I wore a Puma headband. I told him about it, and he said he has a headband with number 10 and will send it to me."

"Regardless of whether we're opponents on the field, we're very good friends. On the pitch, everyone must defend their team and colors, but off the field we're very close friends. We communicate almost every day. Memphis is someone I really like."

Neymar urges fans to remain "realistic" about Santos' situation

Neymar said: "I repeat what I said a month ago: every game will be very difficult. We won't have easy wins by 3-0 or 4-0. Of course, that will happen eventually, but given Santos' current situation, unfortunately, we are no longer a top team in Brazilian football. Currently in Brazilian football there are two strong teams, and we all know which ones they are."

"But we're still doing everything we can, working hard every day to make the team better. Santos fans should expect this team to give everything and be fully committed every day, every match."

In any case, Sunday's victory was crucial for Santos. The club now has 29 points and has climbed to 14th place in the standings, temporarily gaining some breathing room in their fight against the relegation zone.

Переведено ИИ.

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