Football: Neymar, a Misunderstood Genius and Roller Coaster King After six seasons donning the PSG jersey, the Brazilian officially bid adieu to the French league on Tuesday. Neymars Shocking Move Farewell PSG.
Like a couple coming to terms without tears, anger, or shattered plates, PSG and Neymar have turned the page. The Brazilian officially signed with Saudi club Al-Hilal on Tuesday, August 15, after six years spent in the capital. The verdict on the galactic project’s failure has been definitively reached. In search of a true new era for the past two years, Paris will forge ahead without the player who was expected to lead them to the pinnacle of European football.
His departure was met with relief by some, tired of the fluctuations in his talent and recurrent injuries, always occurring right before significant European showdowns. Yet, bitterness lingers for others. Having recently undergone ankle surgery, “Ney” had just returned from a four-month recovery period and communicated positively.
“I hope to play this season, I have a contract with Paris Saint-Germain. I am at ease, even though there isn’t much love between the fans and me. I will be there with or without love,” he had affirmed at the end of July, responding to rumors of a potential sale by the club in an interview with Brazilian journalist Casimiro Miguel, which was streamed on Twitch. His words and the promise of his performance during the last match of the pre-season tour, where he transformed a lackluster PSG by scoring a brace against South Korean club Jeonbuk (3-0, final score), would prove to be in vain.
A Persistent Resonance Despite missing 123 games due to physical setbacks (having played a total of 173 with Paris), according to Transfermarkt’s tally, the Santos prodigy possessed that something extra that consistently renewed hope. There was his dedication, seeking the motivation to endure rehabilitation. Above all, his exceptional technical prowess and visionary gameplay made many of his adversaries seem like amateurs.
However, there was always a caveat. He had managed to draw boos from the Parc des Princes crowd during his quadruple against Dijon in February 2018 (8-0), a performance awarded a perfect 10/10 by L’Equipe. He refused to let Edinson Cavani take a penalty that could have surpassed Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Often, Neymar shone to respond to supporters, perpetuating this conflicted relationship.
Akin to his acrobatic game-saving overhead kick against Strasbourg in September 2019, securing PSG’s win in the 93rd minute (1-0). A daring move, executed after being jeered by his own fans throughout the match due to his unfulfilled desire to depart for Barcelona, made public during the summer. “I am a player of Paris, and if they want to continue insulting me, no problem. From now on, I know that I will play every game as if I were away,” Neymar had stated in the mixed zone after the match.
His only period of fulfillment in the Parisian colors lasted merely a week in August 2020, 1,700 kilometers away from the capital. During the Lisbon Final 8, where PSG made it to their first-ever Champions League final (lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich), Neymar showcased his pinnacle form. Instrumental in both his team’s goals against Atalanta (2-1), he dazzled in the semifinal against Leipzig (3-0), giving the impression that nothing could stop him. Everything abruptly ended in the final. “Ney,” like his teammates, failed to influence the match.
Highs and Lows Abound Numerous episodes overshadowed this fleeting romance. Some positive, like his genuine declaration of love for PSG in February 2021: “I love you, PSG.” Others, less admirable, such as his overall performance in the 2021-2022 season, often clashing with Lionel Messi when they were on the field together. His lifestyle was criticized, and new injuries hindered him, to the extent that he began the first leg of the Round of 16 against Real Madrid (1-0) on the bench without causing much lament.
The roller coaster resumed the following season. The Brazilian started strongly, being directly involved in 15 goals (9 goals, 6 assists) in his first six outings. Clearly the standout Parisian player until the winter break, he returned from the World Cup injured, carrying yet another international disappointment after 2014 and 2018. Determined to participate in every game, he was in the lineup in late January against amateur side Pays de Cassel in the French Cup (7-0), while Lionel Messi was rested.
As his pace slackened, PSG’s performance declined, causing concern in February, just before the start of the knockout stages in the Champions League. Photographed at a fast-food joint and a poker tournament the night after the lost first-leg Round of 16 match against Bayern (0-1), Neymar once again became the scapegoat. Three days later, he showed up on the field against Lille in Ligue 1 but had to leave on a stretcher after a violent collision that aggravated his already fragile ankle. For some supporters, it was the final straw; but, more importantly, the capital club never fielded him again in official competition.
Exile or Rebound The last Brazilian artist of this cunning and theatrical football, perhaps his joy as a player was often overshadowed by the weight of expectations stemming from his colossal transfer, which, to this day, remains the most expensive in history (€222 million). Neymar never sought more responsibility; he had even requested not to be captain of the national team in 2016. In addition to injuries and collective sports failures, his style of play – that of the provocative dribbler – is as awe-inspiring as it is aggravating.
Neymar is no stranger to a lack of affection, “as was the case with Brazil, where he was loved one day and hated the next before winning the 2016 Olympics,” analyzed PSG’s Brazilian legend Rai on RMC in June 2022. He never became accustomed to it. On the contrary, it’s a malaise that gnaws at him, its negative impact never hidden. His public statements have been relatively rare, and all have revealed his discomfort.
“There have been times when I wanted to quit playing. Once, I reached the point of asking myself: what’s the point of continuing if they don’t like it?” he admitted in an interview with British magazine Gaffer in early 2021. A year later, in an interview with DAZN, he reiterated, “I don’t know if I will be mentally strong enough to continue managing my footballer’s life in the future.”
The next chapter of his career will unfold in Saudi Arabia, where a grand celebration awaits him. Everything suggests that the Brazilian has abandoned his ambitions at the highest European level at just 31 years old. Yet, the roller coaster specialist spent his career bouncing back repeatedly, and he’s certainly not done with his mischievous surprises.
