Brazilian press reports revealed the escalation of tension within Santos ranks, after the altercation in which Brazilian star Neymar engaged with a number of his teammates during the match against Chapecoense, within the Brazilian league competitions.
According to the Brazilian GeGlobo network, Neymar returned strongly after his participation in the World Cup, where he scored Santos' two goals in the match that ended in a positive 2-2 draw, and the second goal was from a penalty kick in the final minutes, to save his team from defeat.
The network explained that Neymar engaged in a verbal altercation during halftime with a number of young players, most notably Gabriel Bonfim and João Ananias, which Santos management believed negatively affected the team's performance in the second half and increased tension inside the locker room.
The report added that Brazilian media outlets claimed Neymar directed insults at Bonfim, describing him as "lowly," and told him he would play in the second division with Chapecoense next season.
In contrast, those close to Neymar remained silent, while both Bonfim and Ananias acknowledged that a discussion occurred between the halves of the match, but denied that any insults were directed during the incident.
The network concluded its report by confirming that Santos management decided to open an internal investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident, amid concerns about the crisis's impact on the team's atmosphere in the coming period.