Neymar once got new Brazil manager Dorival Junior sacked after 'bust-up' over penalties when he was just 18

Dorival Junior is set to be confirmed as the new Brazil manager as his fascinating history with Neymar resurfaces.

Dorival will take over as Brazil's coach ahead of the Copa America this summer, with Brazil hoping to bounce back from defeat to Argentina in the 2021 final.

Neymar has been Brazil's poster boy for over a decade now but his place at the tournament is far from secure with the Al Hilal attacker still recovering from an cruciate ligament injury he sustained on international duty.

Neymar may ordinarily seem like a shoo-in for the Brazil starting XI but with the 31-year-old likely to miss the camps leading up to the tournament, his place is certainly not guaranteed.

The Brazilian may have other concerns, however, as he has a rather damning history with his new coach from his time at Santos.

Back in 2010 when playing under Dorival at Santos, Neymar, who was then 18, insisted he took a penalty instead of their regular taker, Marcel.

This reportedly led to a huge bust-up between Dorival and the teenage Neymar as the wonderkid was forced to train alone and dropped for the next two matches, including a huge game against Corinthians.

The report also claims Neymar was fined a third of his monthly wage by Dorival for the incident.

Speaking at the time, Dorival told the media: "For him it will be very good this rest. I make this conscious decision of the seriousness of the facts and I have a very calm conscience.

"I do not punish him for pleasure, I do it because it is necessary."

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Despite being just 18 at the time, Neymar was already a global phenomenon and had been approached by multiple European clubs, including Real Madrid.

Due to Neymar's status, the Brazilian club shockingly decided to appease their talented youngster and sacked Dorival just three hours before he was due to take charge against Corinthians.

It is unknown if Dorival has carried any vengeance since his surprising dismissal in 2010 but his history with Neymar will certainly be a talking point as the box-office Brazilian nears his return to fitness.

Topics: Neymar, Brazil, Copa America, Santos, Football

Tom Jenkins

Tom Jenkins is a Social Editor and Journalist for SPORTBible. Specialises in Football and F1 but has experience covering a variety of sports such as MMA, Boxing and Cricket. Suffers weekly as an Evertonian.

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