Cuca Addresses Neymar's Concerns Over Synthetic Turf

Santos boss Cuca has made it clear: Neymar will not be thrown onto synthetic turf without a full, collective decision from the club’s technical staff.

The coach, speaking to ESPN Brazil, underlined that the forward’s availability will be treated as a shared call rather than a last‑minute gamble.

"I will talk to him and we will make our decisions. With him and the entire squad. We'll determine what is best to do," Cuca said, spelling out a cautious approach around his star’s fitness and the surface he loathes.

Neymar’s stance on artificial pitches is no secret. He aggravated an ankle problem against Atletico Mineiro last year and has railed against synthetic fields ever since, unloading on social media: "It's proven, synthetic is absolute s***."

That frustration has not cooled.

Pressed in the mixed zone about the prospect of playing at Palmeiras’ home ground, the forward bristled at the suggestion that the Allianz Parque debate should come before the team’s immediate task.

"Man, are you already thinking about that? Calm down, there's a game on Sunday. I don't know [if I'll play on synthetic turf]," he replied, cutting off any attempt to pin him down.

The hesitation matches what he has long said about the venue and its surface.

"Playing at Allianz, for me, is impossible. Playing on a 7-a-side surface is something that bothers any player, regardless of injuries. Morumbi is very good, and I feel better there. I feel good on that pitch," Neymar has previously stated, drawing a clear line between the synthetic carpet in Palmeiras’ arena and the more traditional grass at Morumbi.

Cuca now stands in the middle of that tension: the need to protect his most influential player, the demands of a high‑stakes calendar, and a turf war that shows no sign of dying down.