When rumours were hotting up that Neto was going to be signing for AFC Bournemouth in the summer of 2022, it caught a lot of Cherries fans off guard.

To begin with, it was a very exciting link – to see ‘little old Bournemouth’ signing a player from the footballing royalty that is Barcelona was not something that anyone thought they would ever see, another sign of just how far this club had come.

But it did seem somewhat peculiar – Neto had been at Barcelona for three years, but had made just 12 league appearances, so it was unlikely he was moving from Camp Nou to Dean Court just to sit on the bench.

It had seemed like AFCB were happy to let Mark Travers be the no.1 in the Premier League, as his new shirt number suggested, having just won the Championship Golden Glove and fans player of the season to help the club win promotion back to the promised land. Jonas Lossl had been on trial earlier in pre-season, and he was unlikely to ever take the no.1 spot, so it felt like the club were hoping to bring in someone of that calibre – experienced, but backup to Travers.

There is no doubt Neto had the experience, having played for some giant clubs in Fiorentina, Juventus, Valencia, and of course Barcelona, but this felt much more of a challenge to Travers, and someone who was going to come in and eventually take his place.

The changing of the guard in goal did not take long at all. Neto had made one appearance in the Carabao Cup, appearing in a penalty shootout win at Norwich, where his passion upon winning was very admirable and almost surprising given the very small nature of a 2nd round cup game at Carrow Road vs the huge powerhouses he had been at in his career, but it was great to see.

The weekend after the cup win came the infamous 9-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield, where Travers unfortunately did not cover himself in glory, to put it lightly. Scott Parker was consequently sacked, and with a game against Wolves in midweek, interim boss Gary O’Neil felt it was time for the experienced Brazilian to make his Premier League debut, something Neto was very excited for upon joining. He did not have much to do in the game, but seemed to bring a calming presence to a likely very under pressure backline, and seemed a big upgrade with the ball at his feet as he kept a clean sheet that day.

His introduction to the team led to a six game unbeaten run, and that was no coincidence. It feels like his time at the club couldn’t be summed up better than in the 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest. After Jaidon Anthony secured a sensational second half turnaround, Joe Worrall launched a long, high ball into the area, which should have been comfortably caught by the keeper. Instead, he weakly flapped an attempted punch under pressure from Steve Cook, which was thankfully then somehow put high and wide by Taiwo Awoniyi from close range, a move that Neto himself celebrated. He celebrated even more at full time, too. And when a video taken from the stands after the game, a camera angle usually only used by the club for analysis, was posted, showing Neto wildly running around celebrating Anthony’s winner, AFCB fans could not help but fall in love with this eccentric, exuberant Brazilian goalkeeper. He was loving every minute, and we loved him. His save the week after from Ryan Fraser to keep scores level at St James’ Park did no harm to his reputation, given the Scotsman’s history with AFCB.

His absence due to a hamstring injury picked up in the first half of a game at London Stadium against West Ham (perhaps better known for ‘volleyball-gate’) was sorely felt. Infamous back-to-back losses against Spurs and Leeds took place, where AFCB led by 2 goals in both games, and unfortunately for Mark Travers, goals were conceded in those games which almost certainly would not have gone in had Neto been in goal. After a win against Everton the 2022 World Cup took place, and the hope amongst all Cherries fans was that Neto would be back in between the sticks as soon as the Premier League restarted. That was not the case, however, and three games came and went – all losses – and although not Travers fault, all fans were just praying for the presence of Neto back in goal. That did eventually come, against Brentford in January, and he did not miss a minute of Premier League action for the rest of the season until the final day, due to a family bereavement. That, since officially signing, the club lost 9/10 games Neto did not play in the league, speaks volumes of his impact.

His impact on and off the field was highlighted in early February when Gary O’Neil announced the decision that Neto was now the captain of AFC Bournemouth, replacing Lloyd Kelly, which although came as a shock to many at the time, seems a fairly easy decision to make in hindsight. Neto was a good leader to a young team, and was a rare loud voice on the pitch, which was very much needed.

It wasn’t just Neto’s passion that made Bournemouth fans fall in love with him, it was his performances on the pitch, too. Neto ended the season having made 100 saves at a success rate of 74%, which was the third highest in the Premier League that campaign. More importantly, he made 0 errors leading to goals, and ended up with a positive xGA – meaning he saved more shots than he was expected to. Mark Travers, meanwhile, had the 3rd worst in the league, highlighting Neto’s importance even further.

When it was announced in March 2023 that Neto had signed a new three year deal, it was met with nothing but positivity by fans. That he was willing to stay around despite a potential relegation was a massive boost, and showed his love and commitment to the club, and felt like a real coup. It almost felt like a reward back to Neto that we were able to stay up, of which he was a major aspect, with his leadership, experience and countless saves across the season. Suffice to say, Neto’s first year in England could not have gone much better, given the direction it looked like it could have been heading at times.

Andoni Iraola’s appointment in the summer of 2023 was a shock, but there were no shock moves expected in the goalkeeping department, and that was the way it stayed. Andrei Radu was brought in on loan to allow Mark Travers to temporarily move to Stoke, although Travers was recalled in October due to an injury to Neto (but Travers did not feature until January).

Neto was kept as captain, but his 2023/24 season was unfortunately not as fruitful as his previous campaign. That’s not to say it was a terrible season for him, he was serviceable enough and Iraola kept the faith for the majority of the year, but questions were raised from fans throughout the season whether the Brazilian was good enough to take the club where it wants to be.

His highlight of the season was undoubtedly his free kick save from Jacob Bruun Larsen against Burnley at Turf Moor, somehow palming away a fierce effort that looked destined for the top corner. It was a very important save as well, with the score 1-0 to Bournemouth, and going on to win 2-0 that afternoon. Bigger than that, it was AFCB’s first win in eight matches, and meant they were able to push on before the season’s end without looking over their shoulders, and eventually break the club’s record Premier League points tally.

Having watched highlights of that season back, the majority of Neto’s best saves in a red & black shirt did come in that season. His xGA improved from the season before, but that doesn’t feel as if it tells the full story. His save % was down, he made two errors leading to goals, his commanding of his area was very questionable and he was beginning to lack quality with the ball at his feet. This was highlighted on the last day of the season against Chelsea, where having been dropped for three games to give Mark Travers a go, following a tricky run in the team, Neto was reinstated. But it did not go to plan. Just 17 minutes into the game, Neto came rushing out of his area to stop Raheem Sterling going through and scoring – a good piece of goalkeeping. But rather than immediately get rid, he inconceivably took another touch, a heavy one, which led him to hurriedly sliding and clearing the ball to stop Connor Gallagher tackling him. The finish from the halfway line by Moises Caicedo was admittedly sensational, but in a league of this quality, these things can happen when you give the opposition these opportunities. In the second half, he was beaten Sterling at his near post in disappointing fashion, and as Bournemouth fans left Stamford Bridge to reflect on the season that happened, it felt like it might be the end for Neto.

Rumours swirled in the summer of 2024 for incoming goalkeepers, such as Aaron Ramadale, but to the surprise of many, nothing came to fruition by the time the season rolled around, other than young Alex Paulsen, who was quickly loaned back out. Travers and Neto remained at the club, but it was the Brazilian who took the majority of pre-season minutes, and he took the gloves on the first day of the season against Nottingham Forest. Again, it was not the start he desired, as he parried Ryan Yates’ volley straight into the path of Chris Wood to slot home, when he should’ve either caught the ball, or parried it much wider. He did make a solid save from a Wily Boly header with the score still 1-0 in the second half, but despite fighting back to claim a point, most questions after the game were directed at Neto’s place in the team.

Kepa Arrizabalaga was sounded out as his replacement after long negotiations for a loan deal with Chelsea, but he was not brought in before the second league game against Newcastle, so Neto started. And he had what was probably his best Bournemouth game in a long time. Neto’s participation in the match might be most remembered for when he was borderline assaulted by Joelinton, somehow not a red card, just before the game’s end. Although questions could be asked (again) about his command of his area for Anthony Gordon’s equaliser, he made a couple of fantastic saves, namely doing fantastically well to claw away a close range Dan Burn header.

With Kepa coming in, it seemed like that would be a fitting farewell for Neto’s AFCB career, as the club would not be able to afford the wages of both keepers – the Brazilian reportedly on £5M a year, far too much for a backup keeper. With Neto on the way out, he surely wouldn’t start a Carabao Cup game against West Ham, which was usually representative of rotation for keepers. But, bizarrely, Neto started – and just one day later, it was announced he was joining Arsenal on loan to backup David Raya. His AFCB career started in the Carabao Cup, and it looked like it was ending that way, too.

As just stated, backups usually get their chance in cup games… but that opportunity for Neto never came, as playing in the game against The Hammers had cup tied him. So he made just one appearance for the Gunners throughout the whole season, a 2-1 loss to Girona in the Champions League. Again, it did not go how he would have dreamt after such a long wait. Ex-cherry Arnaut Danjuma had broken through the lines midway through the Arsenal half and found himself one on one, but Neto incomprehensibly found himself well outside of his area, and Danjuma curled the ball round him. Neto still tried to save it with his hands – due to how far outside his area he was, even if he had saved it, it would have been a red card. A very odd moment, and unfortunately all he will be remembered for by fans of Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta did not trust to use him again.

It goes without saying, of course, that Neto was likely a great presence behind the scenes at Arsenal, due to the fact he can speak multiple languages, which helped him bed in many players during his time at AFCB, and was probably a key reason he was appointed captain.

Neto had continued the 2024/25 season as captain in the few games he played, which did make it feel slightly odd to loan him out, not something that often happens to a skipper in football. Of course, Arsenal did not exercise the option to buy Neto, meaning he was to return to pre-season with AFCB this summer, where was no longer captain, a mantle now held by Adam Smith. Most Bournemouth fans did not expect to see him back in a Bournemouth shirt, but stranger things had happened. At the beginning of the summer, no Kepa replacement was brought in, so he was leading the young goalkeeping group of Will Dennis and Alex Paulsen. That was until Djordje Petrovic was brought in from Chelsea, leading to questions about what would happen with Neto in the friendlies that were to take place in the coming weeks.

He played in the behind closed doors friendlies, which was not a surprise, as having four keepers likely meant they all got a half each in the first two friendlies. But surprisingly, in America, Neto played in two out of the three Summer Series games, one half against both Everton and West Ham. Was it to put him in the shop window, to respect what he had given to the club despite knowing he was going to be off, or was it an indication that he was going to stay as no.2?

The fact he had played considerable minutes over Dennis and Paulsen did keep fans guessing, until it was announced that Botafogo had agreed a two year deal with an option for a third for the 36 year old. A return to his homeland and a chance to play regular football will no doubt be welcomed by a man very much in his prime years, replacing keeper John who is joining West Ham.

I commend Neto’s decision to leave the club on a free, rather than sticking around and not playing on his £100k a week wages, which he would have been more than entitled to do. He is a man who came under lots of fire from AFCB fans, but for me, his little waves to the North Stand before every home game will be missed. Players who show as much passion and connection as Neto did are not easy to come by, and passion is of course not everything, but he had some good moments in goal as well. His role in keeping us up in 2022/23 should not be overstated.

The time felt right to move on after a shaky 2023/24, he was no longer at the level required to take us forward, especially highlighted by the quality and overall calming presence of Kepa, and it was a surprise to see him in a Bournemouth shirt again, but he always represented himself in a fantastic manner when it would have been very easy not to.

I began writing this article perhaps with a negative view of the keeper, to which I am entitled to as a fan, having watched the man give me many, many heart attacks. But looking through the archives, remembering the good times, the celebrations, certainly developed a nice wave of nostalgia, that means I will likely always look back at his time with a level of fondness.

Football fans can be very fickle, but it’s crazy what a little bit of reflection can do.

Bournemouth fans are entitled to remember Neto however they like, through the good and bad, but I hope they look back on his time with us with a level of respect, no matter the thoughts of him. It’s the least he deserves.

Thank you Neto, and all the best for the future.