PSG is in turmoil, Neymar too. Expected by fans against Bayern in the absence of star Kylian Mbappé, the Brazilian embodied the current bankruptcy of the Parisian club. Helpless and without apparent motivation, Neymar did not allow Paris Saint-Germain to avoid defeat in this match of the knockout stages of the Champions League. A lack of combativeness which could lead to his departure from PSG next summer.
Since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the surprise elimination of Brazil in the quarter-finals against Croatia on penalties, the Seleção’s flagship striker has been going through a particularly difficult period marked by a drop in speed on the sports plan. A sporting situation summarized by Nabil Djellit in the show Europe 1 Sports (every evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.): “We found the bad Neymar, the “Depressing Neymar”. He’s heavy. On Saturday, he plays baballe. Instead of accompanying the others, he tried to force to show that around him it was insufficient. He has a form of post-World Cup depression.”
Parties in his house
And to pass his winter spleen, Neymar has found nothing better than to party to the point of exceeding his neighborhood. Resident of Bougival, a small town of 8,790 inhabitants in the Yvelines, the Brazilian would regularly organize parties in his five-storey villa. Several complaints would have been filed by his neighbors for night noise. Last evening, his birthday. Neymar would have celebrated his 31st birthday until the end of the night.
An atmosphere that contrasts with that of Neymar in the locker room of Paris Saint-Germain. But this lifestyle can only push the Brazilian star a little further. Tuesday evening, just after the defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Kylian Mbappé spoke at the microphone of Canal +: “Above all, all our players must be in good health”, he underlined, implicitly inviting his teammates to rest and sleep well before PSG’s return match in Munich. The tricolor international therefore leaves the idea of a lack of commitment and seriousness within the group without naming anyone.
Qatar would not want it anymore
Neymar’s behavior annoys the players but also the leaders of PSG. Last Saturday, the 31-year-old star was at the heart of a clash in the locker room with Luis Campos, the capital club’s football adviser. After the defeat in the league against Monaco (3-1), the leader would have criticized Neymar for his lack of combativeness on the ground. Present at a press conference last Monday, the Brazilian number 10 confirmed that he had “disagree” with some people following the defeat in Monaco.
Luis Campos would like to see Neymar leave next summer, just like Qatari investors. But this forced departure promises to be more complicated than expected for Qatar since the Brazilian has exercised his option to extend until June 2027 with the Parisian club. Another factor that complicates the situation, his salary of 36 million euros per year that no other current team would be able to outbid. Between Neymar and PSG, the expected divorce will therefore have to go through negotiation. By then, will Neymar manage to find the level that saw him hatch?