Photo: EPA
Brazilian star Neymar did not feature in his club’s latest league match after reportedly spending two consecutive days playing in an online poker tournament.
The forward, who recently extended his contract with Santos FC, was absent from the squad for the 0–0 draw against Cruzeiro EC.
Official explanation vs media reports
Club officials stated that Neymar’s absence was due to “load management,” a common term used to describe planned rest to prevent injuries.
However, Brazilian media outlet portalleodias.com reported that the player was actively involved in online poker sessions over two days, which coincided with the match period.
Team situation
Santos currently sit in the lower half of the Brazilian league table, and the draw did little to improve their position, leaving the team in 16th place.
Background
Neymar returned to Santos after leaving Saudi club Al Hilal SFC as a free agent earlier this year. He has previously played for FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, where he established himself as one of Europe’s top forwards.
