Santos exited the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals after losing to Palmeiras 3-0 in the first leg and drawing 0-0 at home in the second leg. The match result prompted 34-year-old Neymar to post a scathing attack on his club's groundskeeper via Instagram.
"I would like to congratulate the groundskeeper of Villa Belmiro's pitch," Neymar wrote, according to his post. "Yesterday, the pitch was absolutely the worst, full of holes, because they had to level it the day before the match. Incredible!"
Neymar said the team had to contend not only with the opposing squad but with the playing surface itself. He claimed that adjusting pace and rhythm became difficult because the surface was so uneven, and that three players sustained injuries in the first half.
"On top of everything else, we had to make extra effort when accelerating and slowing down because the ground was so uneven," he wrote. "No wonder three players got injured in the first half. Congratulations then... what terrible work!"
