Neymar's return to Santos took a dramatic turn during their recent match against Flamengo, ending in a 3-2 defeat and a highly visible meltdown from the Brazilian star. The match, held at the Maracana, saw Neymar clash with the referee, Savio Pereira Sampaio, and later with his own coach, Juan Pablo Vojvoda, as frustrations boiled over.

Throughout the game, Neymar repeatedly complained to the referee, resulting in a yellow card in the 36th minute, just before Flamengo scored their opening goal from a corner. Neymar didn't hold back his criticism of Sampaio, stating, "The referee is very bad. Besides being bad, with all due respect, he's arrogant. That's the word". He further alleged that the referee threatened him, saying, "If you come near me, I'll give you a yellow card," hindering Neymar's attempts to communicate. Neymar also argued that a foul on Santos' goalkeeper, Gabriel Brazao, was missed in the lead-up to the corner, which ultimately led to Flamengo's goal. He lamented the state of refereeing in Brazil, calling for improvements and expressing dismay at the "arrogance" of the officials.

Adding to the drama, Neymar's frustration extended to his coach after being substituted in the 85th minute. As his number was called, Neymar questioned Vojvoda's decision, asking, "Are you going to take me off?". Instead of joining the other substitutes, he headed straight to the locker room, visibly angry at being removed from the game while Santos was trying to salvage a point.

The defeat leaves Santos in a precarious position, sitting in 17th place in the relegation zone with 33 points. Neymar had voiced his frustration at halftime, expressing that Santos needed to find him in attack more often to create chances. Earlier in the match, Neymar was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge that went unpunished, further fueling his anger and leading to his caution for dissent.