Most expensive professional hopes for patience
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After his comeback for his youth club FC Santos, Brazil’s striker Neymar sees himself slowly on the way to old form. “I need more playing time, more games. I’m not at 100 percent, but I didn’t expect to run as much as this evening, ”said the 33-year-old after his 52-minute commitment to the bottom of the state championship of São Paulo, Botafogo. In the end it was only enough to 1: 1 (1: 0). “I will be much better in three or four games,” said Neymar on his birthday.
Neymar had previously been sorted out in Saudi Arabia at Al-Hilal. A cruciate ligament tear in the left knee and then a new break due to thigh complaints contributed to this.
Neymar had been criticized by his ex-coach Jorge Jesus. “The place is the only place where I can defend myself against this criticism and these comments,” said Neymar. He was also ready to play again at Al-Hilal, but after his serious injury it was not possible for over 90 minutes. “I need some patience from the fans,” he said now.
Neymar is still the most expensive footballer in the world
For FC Santos, the former world star already played from 2009 to 2013 and scored 134 goals in 220 games. Then he switched to FC Barcelona. Neymar was actually under contract with Al-Hilal until summer, but he had no longer played a role in the team for a long time. The tricky attacker, to accuse the critic of a penchant for unnecessary artificial sites and provocations, played only seven times for the club since moving to Saudi Arabia in August 2023 and scored a goal.
The 128-time Brazilian international still holds the record for the highest transfer fee in football, as well as those of the highest overall replacement within a player career. In 2017 he switched from Barça to Paris Saint-Germain for 222 million euros. Together with the 88 million euros, which Barcelona paid to Santos and the 90 million euros transferred from Al-Hilal to PSG, Neymar has 400 million euros. In the transfer revenge ranking, Neymar is at the top in front of Romelu Lukaku.