In Round 25 of the Brasileirão, Santos defeated Corinthians 1-0 away, securing a crucial victory to stay in the fight for survival. After the match, Santos forward Neymar was interviewed.

Neymar explains why he was absent from the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals against Palmeiras last week

Neymar stated that he was fully fit to play in that match and had even asked his personal sponsor Puma to make a special pair of boots for him to adapt to the artificial grass at Palmeiras' home stadium. However, he revealed that the final decision to leave him out of the squad entirely was made by head coach Cuca.

Neymar said: "I was able to play in the match against Palmeiras. I even prepared a pair of boots suitable for artificial grass. They were boots with shorter studs, suitable for futsal. I asked Puma to make them for me, but this (being left out) was a decision made by the coaching staff..."

"If that match had ended 0-0 or 1-1, everyone would say it was 'Coach Cuca' sitting there, not Coach Cuca. But that's football, and it's part of the game... We didn't expect a result like that (Santos 0-3 Palmeiras)."

"In football, there are comebacks, and there are remarkable matches. Who knows if something like that will happen on Wednesday? ... We will go there and enjoy the match. All the pressure is on Palmeiras, the second strongest team in Brazil. The responsibility is on them, and we will enjoy playing at Vila Belmiro on Wednesday."

"It's just another match in my career. I've played in the best competitions and scored in various places, in different finals. This will be another challenge for me to enjoy. Of course, those who come to the stadium on Wednesday will also enjoy Santos football."

Due to the 0-3 loss in the first leg, Santos must win by at least four goals to advance to the semifinals. If they win by three goals, the teams will determine qualification through a penalty shootout.

Neymar explains the headband tribute to Depay

Neymar said: "I had 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'm wearing the one from Puma. I told him about it, and he said he has a headband with the number 10 on it and will send it to me."

"Whether we are opponents on the pitch or not, we are very good friends. On the pitch, everyone must defend their team and colours, but off the pitch, we are very good friends. We communicate almost every day. Memphis is someone I really like."

Neymar also calls on the public to maintain realistic expectations for Santos, stating that the team's fight to stay up in the coming months to avoid relegation to Serie B will remain extremely difficult

Neymar said: "I reaffirm what I said a month ago, every match will be very difficult. We won't be getting easy 3-0 or 4-0 victories. Of course, these will happen sooner or later, but given Santos' current situation, unfortunately, we are no longer a strong team in Brazilian football. Currently there are two strong teams in Brazilian football, and we all know who they are."

"But we are still doing our best, working hard every day to make the team better. Santos fans should hope that this team gives everything and commits fully every day, every match."

Regardless, Sunday's victory was crucial for Santos. Santos now have 29 points and have risen to 14th place in the standings, gaining some breathing room in the battle against teams in the relegation zone.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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