Disappointed with the treatment in Paris
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“We went through hell, he and I,” said the Brazilian star striker Neymar a little over a year ago about Lionel Messis (37) and their time together at Paris Saint-Germain – but did not go into details. On the podcast “Bartoli Time” by “RMC Sport” The 32-year-old, who has been playing for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia since 2023, now expressed himself a little more clearly about what he liked and disliked during his six years in the French capital.
“My experience at PSG was good and bad at the same time… Good because I was at the peak of my career football-wise. And bad because I was injured for a long time and often,” said Neymar (about his injury history). The first year in particular after his record move from FC Barcelona for 222 million euros was “great”: “I was very well received by the French and the fans. It hasn’t been that way in the last two or three years. It wasn’t exactly unbelievable (positive) how I was treated, the same goes for Lionel Messi. For me it was unfair because I always gave everything on the pitch.”
In particular, he was saddened when angry PSG fans showed up in front of his villa in 2023 and tried to get into the property. They used insults to encourage Neymar to leave the club. There were also protests in front of the PSG office against Messi, who was briefly suspended for a visit to Saudi Arabia. “RMC Sport” cited in an articlethat Neymar did not mention how often he wanted to leave the club and put pressure on him in relation to the mood against him. Before his move to Riyadh for 90 million euros, a return to Barcelona had been on the cards for years. Around 2019, there was speculation that the attacker was deliberately absent from the pre-season in order to force a transfer.
“I don’t hold any grudges, but the way I was treated by the fans made me a bit sad. Especially when they came to my house, when they wanted to break into my house, insult me or beat me up. As far as I’m concerned, they’ve crossed the line. Our relationship was no longer respectful, while I always respected her. It was a really complicated situation. The way I was treated at the end made me sad, but now it’s over,” said Neymar. He also has no grudge against PSG per se, but “against some of the people who run the club and some of the fans. But that is a thing of the past.” Now he wishes the club only the best and many successes.
Neymar on future: Wants to play in the Club World Cup with Al-Hilal
Neymar also commented on his sporting future. His time at Al-Hilal has been one to forget so far; he has missed over 50 competitive games since the summer of 2023 due to a torn cruciate ligament and a thigh injury. He has only been on the field twice this season. His contract ends next summer, and youth club FC Santos in particular is seeking a commitment. However, advisor Pini Zahavi recently denied talks about an early departure.
Neymar now said: “First of all, I want to have a good season with Al-Hilal. I have just come back from a very serious injury. I still have a little time to get back to my level and show why I’m here. My priority is to recover well, develop physically and just get back to playing. I would like to take part in the 2025 Club World Cup with Al-Hilal. (…) I was very surprised at how warmly I was welcomed here and how friendly the fans are. The league is evolving, and so is our team, and my family and I are sure we made the right decision.”