Neymar Apologizes for Going Too Far After Slapping Robinho Jr. in Training

Brazilian superstar Neymar has issued a public apology to Robinho Jr., a younger teammate at Santos and son of legendary player Robinho, saying his actions were excessive. Santos opened an investigation after reports that Robinho Jr. accused Neymar of slapping him hard on Sunday, May 3, during a training session at Rei Pelé stadium, following an incident where Jr. dribbled the ball past the 34-year-old forward. Recently, Neymar returned to action for Santos and scored in a 1-1 draw against Recife on May 5. After scoring, he embraced Robinho Jr. in celebration, and later gave a media interview saying: "If you want an apology in front of the media, here it is. I went overboard. Yes, in the way I expressed myself, it could have been different, but ultimately I couldn't control my emotions. Everyone makes mistakes. It's my fault, it's his fault. I made a bigger mistake than he did." He continued: "He's a kid I really like. I have a special affection and bond with him. These things happen in football. You argue with your friends, your brothers. That's football. It's part of the game." Robinho Jr. stated that Neymar "realized immediately that he went too far" and apologized "multiple times" for the incident. "It's a situation that upset me because Neymar has been my idol since I was a kid," Jr. said. "There's a lot of false talk from people around, and it's sad that it blew up like this. But I'm fine. I really like him. We talked and everything is settled."