Neymar Apologizes for Slapping Teammate Robinho Junior

Brasilia. Brazil's star footballer Neymar has apologized for slapping his own club Santos' young teammate Robinho Junior during a training session, admitting he crossed the line.

18-year-old forward Robinho Junior had accused 34-year-old Neymar of slapping him after dribbling past him during training. Following this incident, Brazilian club Santos had started an investigation.

However, they clarified on Tuesday that they have resolved their misunderstanding and the incident at the Rei Pelé Training Center is now settled. Neymar, a former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward who has scored a record 79 goals for Brazil, apologized, saying, 'If you need an apology in front of the media, I apologize.'

On Tuesday, Neymar celebrated by hugging Robinho Junior, who was on the bench, after scoring for Santos in their 1-1 draw against Recoleta in the Copa Sudamericana. Robinho Junior is the son of Neymar's former Brazilian teammate and former Real Madrid and Manchester City player Robinho.

Admitting his mistake, Neymar added, 'I reacted a bit too much, it could have been resolved differently, but I couldn't control my anger. Mistakes happen to everyone, it was a mistake by both him and me, but I made a bigger mistake. I like him a lot and I have special affection for him. Things like this happen in football, fighting with your friend or brother is part of football.'

Robinho Junior also stated that Neymar immediately realized his mistake and apologized repeatedly for the fight. He said, 'This incident made me very sad because Neymar has been my idol since childhood. People around us are saying many things that are not true, and it's sad to see it reach this level. But I am fine, we have talked and everything is resolved between us.'