Neymar hits back at critics: "They say my father and I are mercenaries"

Neymar Jr's return to Santos FC is far from being a dream. This week, 'Peixe' lost 2-1 to Internacional and dropped into the relegation zone after 15 matches. The forward thought he'd scored and celebrated, but it was a phantom goal that the referee ruled hadn't crossed the line.

After the match, the 33-year-old forward was involved in a heated argument with a fan in the Santos FC stand. The supporter said something that prompted the Brazilian to confront him, and his teammate Joao Paulo had to intervene to pull him away.

And what was said? Neymar himself revealed it in an Instagram post, where, far from apologising, he explained the reasons for his anger. Apparently, the fan crossed the line into personal insults.

"In the heat of the moment, it's hard to control your feelings when you're unfairly offended. I'm never going to argue with a fan when they criticise me on the pitch; they have the right to say whether I've played badly or not. They can even boo me. What they can't do is insult me like he did," he stated.

"To say that my father and I are mercenaries, to talk about my family and friends... I'm sorry, but it's hard to control yourself. I came to Santos FC to try to help the club in the best way possible, on and off the pitch. And the day the fans believe that I can no longer help or that I'm harming the club in any way, I'll be the first to pack my bags and leave," he added.

Neymar assured that he remains fully committed to helping the club where he grew up and made his debut: "Santos FC is one of my greatest passions, and as long as I have the strength, I'll give my best for this club. I'll run, I'll fight, I'll shout, and I'll even brawl if necessary to get Santos FC where it deserves to be. Greetings, Santista Nation."