Santos’s 1-0 win over Flamengo last Wednesday (16), in Vila Belmiro, decided with a goal from Neymar, had the debut of a 17-year-old in a professional tournament. Son of Robinho –Didolo of the club that has been fulfilled since March 2024 in the Tremembé Pena Prison for collective rape committed in 2013, in Italy -, Robinho Júnior received praise for his participation.
“It’s very skillful, it has a very good ending. It is not a player who is terrified. It has a very large future. It also remembers Neymar for the biotype: skinny and small,” said coach Cleber Xavier, who called the boy 21 minutes into the second half.
Junior had already taken his first steps to the professional in a friendly with the Railway Sports in Cariacica (ES), on the 10th. The appearance had caught the attention of vehicles like the Spanish newspaper As, but the game did not have the weight of a valid for the Brazilian Championship, which marked a turnaround to an athlete who was almost dispensed at the end of 2024.
“He was part of a list of players who would not remain for the following year. He always had potential, but was below at the end of the year. We evaluated and kept some. Today, he is giving this answer,” said José Renato Quaresma, director of Santos base categories, Sheet.
Robinho Júnior is seen as a “self -taught” in football by closer people. The ability is considered above average, even with an unusual cycle in the grassroots categories, often committed by father’s club changes.
“Juninho came to my hand five to six years old in 2012, and was always absolutely different from the others. I told him that he needed to have the ball in his feet. The parents were in the scolding, but I insisted why he has the dribble better than his father’s. And I had an amazing courage to try to be amazing,” said Robson Fernandes de Oliveira, the first coach in Porto, club of Santos.
Oliveira was chosen by finger by Robinho Pai. He was an old acquaintance of the club where the star had his training in futsal before arriving at Santos’ base categories.
During the passage from Robinho at Atletico Mineiro, between 2016 and 2017, Vivian Guglielmetti, Junior’s mother and wife of Robinho, traveled from Belo Horizonte all Fridays for his son to play for the ports, in Santos, on Saturdays. The routine was maintained for over a year.
“Migration to the [futebol de] Field was made at the age of ten. In addition to this BH’s back and return, sometimes he was coming back from China’s long trip with his father [que defendeu o Guangzhou em 2015] And already trained the same day. I spent the holidays all with me, “said Oliveira.
His father’s arrest, however, moved young in 2024. Since the episode, the club has climbed psychologists to monitor their steps, fearing a decline. In March last year, he used social networks publishing several photos responding to comments about the prison.
“‘My dream is to be rich’, ‘my dream is to be a doctor’… Do you know what my dream is? May everyone know the truth and that my family can live in peace,” he said at the time. “It’s sad to see 30 -year -old big guys commenting on a video, cursing a 16 -year -old boy. I hope you understand, and God bless.”
In Santos, the order of the time is to shield it. The player should not give exclusive interviews and is still treated as an under-20 athlete in transition, not as a professional, although there is euphoria on the part of the fans.
There is concern, mainly, with a physical deficit regarding other players of their age and especially professional athletes.
“Every under-20 athlete, if you don’t go to the professional’s game, go down to play. This is a rule in this management. See Luca Meirelles, Gustavinho, Alencar … He has a lot of potential and future, but I still see him as a very promising name in formation. The fans need patience, we have 14 athletes being prepared to serve the professional, and he is one of them,” said Quaresma.
According to coach Elder Campos, the player had to reinvent himself in the transition from the under-15 category to the U17, precisely because he is more slight than the others.
“His technique marries a great style that Santos seeks. It’s light, fast, has dribble. But, as it has late maturation, suffered a little physically in the U17. Gradually gaining space, gaining draft because it quickly understood how to solve it: he read the ball faster, something unusual for age,” said Campos.
“He developed this to escape the contact and also learned to play in other positions, this confuses the opponent. It can play by the right end, the left, of false 9 or as a sock,” added the coach.
Santos a few years ago took from his museum images of Robinho and avoids promoting his name in mentions of former titles won. He departed from the club’s own leaders, however, the idea of offering Robinho Júnior the shirt 7 worn by his father.
The young man has the sponsors of Neymar, who promised similar care to those he received from Robinho when he was his mate in 2010. At the end of his debut, Neymar spared no praise for the boy.
