Neymar: PSG, Brazil star reins in birthday-party plans
With a crunch Champions League tie coming up, Neymar has reportedly opted against the type of lavish birthday bash that has become his trademark.
For many, birthdays represent the perfect opportunity to get together with friends and family and enjoy a no-holds-barred knees-up. That certainly seems to be the attitude of Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, who in recent years has put on lavish bashes that have captured the attention of the worldwide media.
However, it is believed that things are going to be different in 2020.
Neymar planning lower-key birthday celebration ahead of crunch Champions League clash
Neymar turns 28 on 5 February and, according to the French newspaper L'Équipe, had originally been planning a party on a scale set to rival his previous birthday celebrations. The Brazilian international was said to be preparing to book out a trendy nightclub at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and invite hundreds of guests, many of whom would have been flown over from Brazil.
In recent days, though, Neymar is reported to have reined in his plans. The Brazilian media outlet UOL claims the forward is now minded to opt for a lower-key, more intimate affair, in a move chiefly motivated by an eagerness not to put PSG bosses' noses out of joint by letting himself be distracted from his on-field commitments.
PSG have Ligue 1 clashes against Montpellier and Nantes in the five days leading up to the former Santos and Barcelona star's birthday - the latter taking place the day before - while, more importantly, Thomas Tuchel's side face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of a crucial Champions League last-16 tie less than two weeks later.
For this reason, we are unlikely to see a repeat of the 500-strong, headline-grabbing event at which Neymar saw in his 27th birthday in 2019. Instead, says UOL, the footballer is planning to limit his celebrations to a dinner or a smaller, more restrained party.