Los 40 USA
Sign in to commentAPP
spainSPAINchileCHILEcolombiaCOLOMBIAusaUSAmexicoMEXICOlatin usaLATIN USAamericaAMERICA

Neymar now doesn't know what absurdity to come out with next

On the eve of his return to Paris, Neymar claimed that his best moment as a player was the UCL 6-1 win with Barcelona over his current side PSG. The Ligue 1 outfit signed the Brazilian in 2017 paying 222 million euro for his signature and pay him just shy of 37 million euro per season. That fateful night for the Parisian side in Camp Nou still wrangles and haunts all connected with the French club. Neymar, of course is at liberty to select his best moment as he deems fit but to chose this particular game, with speculation growing of his desire to leave the French capital smacks of either a lack of tact or part of a calculated strategy.

Brazilian football star Neymar celebrates after scoring during a five-a-side football tournament for his charity Neymar Junior Project Institute, in Praia Grande, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 13, 2019.
Full screen
Brazilian football star Neymar celebrates after scoring during a five-a-side football tournament for his charity Neymar Junior Project Institute, in Praia Grande, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 13, 2019.MIGUEL SCHINCARIOLAFP

Off the pitch antics

Neymar is slowly constructing himself into a media personality, where his off-field persona is overshadowing the mercurial talent he has as an attacking football player. Self-centered and surrounded by money and 'yes-men' the striker is no longer being talked about for his on-field displays. When he was a Barcelona player, the Catalan club looked the other way when he made express trips back to Brazil for his sister's birthday parties as he was delivering the goods on the pitch week-in, week-out. He was an excellent player in the claret and navy shirt and aspired to be talked about in the same conversations as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

(FILES) This file photo taken on September 27, 2017 shows Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar reacting during the UEFA Champions League football match against Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris.  Brazil star Neymar, 25, won
Full screen
(FILES) This file photo taken on September 27, 2017 shows Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar reacting during the UEFA Champions League football match against Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. Brazil star Neymar, 25, won FRANCK FIFEAFP

Heir to the throne

Now, the Brazilian makes the headlines through injury or for his behaviour away from the field of play and few of us remember the Neymar at Camp Nou. It's reported that both Messi and Luis Suárez miss the Brazilian and have been instrumental in lobbying president Bartomeu to bring him back to the Catalan capital at the same time as the player appears to be involved in a campaign for the Ligue 1 side to release him. Bartomeu appears not to have any extra cash in the bank with the club struggling to cover Griezmann's fee with many at the club objecting to a Neymar return. Florentino too has been a long-time admirer of Neymar, but has been advised to avoid the Brazilian by a series of advisers. There was a time when Neymar was set to be the new heir to the Cristiano-Messi throne but those days are gone and now his club PSG who forked out 222 million euro in 2017 have got to pick up the pieces.