He’s become a star Neym PSG BAD BOY’S TURNED IT ROUND
THE ROAD to European redemption has been a long and tortuous one for Neymar.
But the enigmatic Brazilian has the chance to reach his ultimate destination in Lisbon tonight when he leads Paris Saint-Germain into battle with Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final.
You have to be special to be known by one name. The greatest of all, Pele, who was Neymar’s idol growing up, did more than most to justify the privilege.
But despite his undoubted talent, the harsh truth is Brazil’s current golden boy cannot hold a torch to the man who won three World Cups and is one of the finest to ever pull on a pair of boots.
The problem is that Neymar has been hard to like.
In 2019 alone his career was dogged by a host of controversies including him missing the Copa America due to injury, being accused of raping someone in a Parisian hotel room and being stripped of the Brazil captaincy after hitting a PSG fan who had dared to criticise him following a defeat in the Coupe de France final to Rennes.
Frequent return trips to Brazil for carnivals coupled with regular parties in Paris (his 27th birthday was celebrated on crutches) point to someone who loves being a sporting icon more than the game that has put him on a pedestal in the first place. There have been fall outs with team-mates, while last season Neymar was banned by UEFA from the Champions League for three games after clashing with match officials following PSG’s home defeat to Manchester United in the last 16. Neymar hadn’t even played in the game. The ban was later reduced to two matches, meaning he missed the start of this season’s competition.
His time in Paris has not always been filled with romance and the burden of being the most expensive footballer on the planet at a cost of £200m has weighed heavily on his tattooed shoulders.
But he now finds himself on the cusp of being able to write a love story that would see PSG become kings of Europe for the first time and cement his place as a genuine great of the game. Neymar appears to be profiting from a change in attitude and application to the game that’s made him rich and famous. He showed this in the semi-final triumph over RB Leipzig when he produced graft as well as greatness – and he will have to do the same again if Thomas Tuchel’s men are to overcome the might of Bayern. At the age of 28, has he finally grown up? Neymar’s diving and histrionics mean he’s never been adored like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But if he can lead PSG to European glory some people, albeit grudgingly, might just learn to love him after all.
PLAYBOY: Neymar on crutches and arguing with officials