The Brazilian superstar was reduced to tears after being forced off with a right hamstring problem at the end of the first half, adding to a miserable night for Santos.
The hosts were held to a goalless draw in the second leg, but Palmeiras advanced to the semi-finals after winning the first encounter 3-0. Neymar’s injury, however, quickly became the major concern.
Clearly frustrated by the state of the playing surface, Neymar took to Instagram to express his disbelief at the conditions at his own club.
“I want to congratulate our groundsman at Vila Belmiro. Yesterday, it was the worst pitch the stadium has ever seen, riddled with holes, because they had to uncompact it the day before the match,” he wrote.
“Unbelievable! On top of playing against the opposition, we were battling the pitch itself. And to top it all off, we had to put in extra effort during acceleration and braking because the surface was so uneven.
“It's no wonder three players got injured in the first half. Congratulations, then... What a load of crap job.'