Neymar gathered family, personal friends and personalities at his home in Santos — such as singer Thiaguinho, volleyball setter Bruninho and striker Gabriel Barbosa —, but he especially sought out two little-known faces shortly after being announced by Carlo Ancelotti as one of the 26 names to compete in the next World Cup.
In the video published on his YouTube channel, which records behind the scenes of the moment of the call-up last Monday (18), the Santos player spends a long time hugging physiotherapist Rafael Martini and physical trainer Ricardo Rosa.
Neymar’s direct employees since August 2014, the professionals were responsible for a kind of “war operation” for his physical recovery. The performance has intensified due to the series of injuries in recent years. The main one was the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and also the rupture of the meniscus during a match against Uruguay, in October 2023.
The relationship began during the striker’s first spell as a professional at Santos, between 2009 and 2013, when Martini and Rosa were employees of the club. The link was later resumed in his second season with Barcelona, motivated by disagreements with the Catalan club’s medical department.
Neymar obtained authorization from the Blaugrana board to sign the duo as he understood that the Spanish club almost put its participation in the 2014 World Cup at risk.
In April of that year, on the eve of the World Cup, the player complained of constant pain in his left foot. At the time, no injury was diagnosed, and he ended up being released for the classic against Real Madrid, in the Copa del Rey final. Shortly after the match, however, an injury was detected in the same region, causing a loss of confidence.
From then on, the physical work schedule and specific recovery plans became the exclusive responsibility of the duo. Neymar set up his own training structure at home, a model later repeated during his spells at Paris Saint-Germain, Al-Hilal and, now, at Santos.
The integration of professionals into the player’s daily life was even part of the million-dollar negotiation with the French club. They even participated in the official presentation, posing next to the star wearing the PSG shirt.
In preparation for the Russian Cup in 2018, Tite’s technical committee also accepted the duo’s presence in the Brazilian team, a practice that continued until the end of the coach’s cycle, in December 2022.
At Santos, Martini and Rosa have even more autonomy and supervise absolutely everything that involves the number 10. No physiotherapist or physical trainer at the club — whether from the fixed committee or hired coaches — has direct access to the athlete.
The duo travels with the squad and participates in day-to-day life at CT Rei Pelé, in addition to leading activities at the player’s mansion, on Santa Terezinha Hill. For example, daily myofascial release sessions carried out by Martini at home, before training, are common to relieve muscle tension and prevent injuries.
Even the disclosure of medical diagnoses needs to be endorsed by the number 10 staff, under the protection of a confidentiality contract. According to Santos’ health department, nothing can be published by the club without the consent of the player’s professionals.
At the athlete’s request, the São Paulo club also purchased specific uniforms. In February this year, a flotation capsule was installed in the CT Rei Pelé, a system in which the athlete floats in water heated with magnesium salt to reduce muscle tension and alleviate post-workout pain.
Neymar also uses a hyperbaric chamber, which increases the amount of oxygen in the blood to speed healing, and pneumatic compression boots after games to improve blood flow in his legs. Another resource adopted was PRP (platelet-rich plasma), a treatment in which venous blood is removed, centrifuged to separate the plasma and reinjected into the injury site to accelerate regeneration.
All treatments were used exhaustively after the FIFA Date in March, in Neymar’s last breath to go to the World Cup. He participated in 11 of the team’s 15 matches until his call-up, his longest recent run, and scored four goals in that period.
At the end of last year, shortly before the last procedure to correct the meniscus in his right knee, Neymar decided to play injured in the last three games for Santos, who were at risk of relegation.
He was decisive with five goals and one assist in the period, but only achieved the feat supported by layers of protection, which guaranteed stability to the injured area, and control of swelling in the joint.
Now, Martini and Rosa’s race will be to prove that the edema detected in the calf will not complicate their participation in the World Cup. Santos says that the injury is minor, not a concern, and that the athlete could even play against Deportivo Cuenca next Tuesday (26).
Neymar, however, has already been warned by Carlo Ancelotti that he will not have privileges in the new stage in the Brazilian team and will not be able to count on trusted professionals on a daily basis as he did with other coaches. On the 27th, at the presentation to Granja, he will undergo physical assessments like the others called up.
