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Neymar has issued an apology on social media after attempting to recreate Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal during Santos' clash against Botafogo on Sunday, June 1. This was the Brazilian winger's first start for the club since April, having struggled with a hamstring injury for the majority of the season.
After being booked in the first half, Neymar found himself in a precarious situation during the second period. The former Barcelona star controversially found the back of the net after Botafogo goalkeeper John warded off a cross into his path. David Ricardo had nearly cleared the ball with a swinging kick, but Neymar used his hand to push the ball ahead of the Botafogo defender and score.
His attempt was reminiscent of Argentina legend Diego Maradona's controversial 'Hand of God' goal during the 1986 World Cup against England. Neymar's goal, however, was disallowed by the referee.
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He received his second yellow card of the match and was sent off. Santos then failed to maintain the scoreline as Botafogo forward Artur Victor Guimarães scored in the 86th minute. After his side's 1-0 defeat, Neymar apologised to teammates and fans for his mistake and wrote on Instagram (via Mirror):
"Desperation of scoring sometimes causes us to commit mistakes... I want to apologize to my teammates and also to the fans! I made a mistake, forgive me!!! Today if I don’t get sent off, I’m sure we could get the 3 points.. Congratulations to the team for today's game! Those 3 points can put on my account!!!"
Maradona's goal in the 1986 World Cup earned the name 'Hand of God' after the Argentine stated in an interview post-match that it was "a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God".
Diego Maradona's ex-assistant on comparisons between Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr
Diego Maradona's former assistant coach, Fernando Signorini, has opened up about comparisons between Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Signorini was a part of Maradona's staff during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he had the opportunity to coach Messi and work with two Argentine legends. During an interview with Flashscore, Signorini was asked about his memories of a young Messi.
He then went on to explain why making comparisons between Neymar and Messi was impractical. Signorini said:
"How can we forget that other genius… who was born to be enjoyed, not explained. If Messi had been Brazilian and Neymar Argentine, we'd say Neymar is better. That's why we have to be careful with comparisons. It was obvious, like when you flip the cards in truco and the tip of the sword appears; it's the same. He just needed time; his relationship with Diego was wonderful."
