Neymar was furious with the state of the pitch at the Vila Belmiro stadium, which he described as the "worst pitch ever". He claimed that the uneven surface made it difficult for his team to play, requiring extra effort to accelerate and decelerate. The Santos player also expressed his frustration with the club's performance, stating that it was a "kloteklus" (a colloquial expression for a poorly executed task) to be eliminated from the cup.
According to Neymar, the poor pitch was a major factor in their defeat, with three of his teammates already feeling the effects of the uneven surface in the first half. Santos are currently struggling in the Brazilian league, sitting 14th after 25 matches. VoetbalPrimeur reported on the incident.