Luxembourg criticizes Neymar's attitude in Santos' defeat: 'Those who want to be leaders need to lead others with their attitude'

Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who previously led Santos to the Brazilian Championship and the Paulista Championship titles and coached the team during Neymar 's breakthrough, criticized the player's attitude on the field during the 3-2 defeat to Flamengo . The match took place last Sunday, the 9th.

In a social media post, Luxemburgo commented on the behavior of the number 10 player, who complained about teammates, the refereeing, and even the coaching staff when he was substituted in the second half of the match.

"The name carries weight, but the example carries more weight. Football is a team sport. And whoever wants to be a leader needs to inspire others with attitude, not just words," the coach wrote.

Luxemburgo commented on the role of leadership in football, highlighting that it is expressed more through actions than words.

" Neymar is a star player, but leadership is shown in his reaction when the game gets tough. Complaining about the referee or leaving before the end doesn't move the team. Moving the team means continuing to run, lifting your teammates, and supporting them until the last minute."

During the game, Neymar received a yellow card for complaining and now has two, meaning he is one yellow card away from suspension for the next few matches. Santos remains in the relegation zone and has six games left to avoid relegation to Série B.

This is not the first time Luxemburgo has criticized the striker's behavior. In August, during an interview, he stated that Neymar's ego is what is holding him back.

"At 50%, he plays better than anyone else there. Neymar has a much bigger ego than he is. Santos was Pelé's team, the fans booed Pelé, they demanded more. And Neymar doesn't accept being criticized by anyone, because his ego is bigger. His reaction is to lash out and attack anyone who says he's not a quality player. He can receive criticism and he has to transform it into something positive for himself."