“He doesn't take football seriously” - Neymar Jr receives stern backlash over injury break decision despite new-found form
Brazilian journalist Renato Mauricio Prado has claimed that Neymar skipped the Santos match to attend the Rio Carnival. He wants the footballer to focus on his game and remember how hard things got for him in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on AOL, Pardo stated that Neymar needs to think about how much longer he has on the pitch and get back to working on his fitness. He added that the Brazilian is unprofessional to be at the carnival with an injury and said via GOAL:
"Neymar is indefensible, he doesn't take football seriously. The injury didn't stop him from going to the carnival. When he returns to Santos, Neymar is accompanied by two crucial doubts: how his physique will react after such a long period without playing so often, and how he will behave professionally after such a resounding sporting failure in Saudi Arabia."
Danielo Lavieri was with the journalist on AOL and added:
"Everyone remembers the number 10's trip to the Sapucaí carnival. Even if he wasn't fit to play, is it normal for him to go partying and not give priority to his treatment?"
Neymar rejoined Santos earlier this year after his contract at Al Hilal was terminated. He has joined on a 6-month contract and is eyeing a move back to Barcelona in the summer.
Al-Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada on terminating Neymar's contract
Al-Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada spoke about the club's decision to terminate the contract of Neymar and stated that it was not an easy decision. He added that the injuries were the main reason for their call and added that they had to put the club first and said via GOAL:
“I am very sorry that we were never able to count on Neymar. As soon as he arrived, he ruptured his cruciate ligament. His departure is further proof that we at Al Hilal are looking for and need players capable of delivering maximum performance. As much as Neymar contributed to our marketing success, sporting performance comes first. And that's when we came to the conclusion that he was no longer capable of delivering what we expected. The agreement to terminate his contract benefited all parties.”
Neymar joined Al Hilal from PSG in 2023 but missed most of his first season with the Saudi Pro League side with an ACL injury. He returned in late 2024 but had a hamstring injury and that kept him out again.
